Tea & Cassia Bark Smoked Chicken
Submitted by pt
Whole chicken steamed then wok-smoked over tea leaves, cassia bark, star anise, and rice for deeply aromatic, mahogany-skinned Chinese smoked chicken. A showstopper Hunan technique with layers of warm spice and sesame.
YIELD
4 servingsPREP
20 minCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1 hrsThis is not your average roast chicken. This is a masterclass in Chinese wok-smoking that transforms a humble bird into something truly extraordinary.
The process starts with a fragrant pepper-salt rub and an overnight marinade, followed by gentle steaming to cook the chicken through.
Then comes the magic: the bird gets perched on a rack inside a foil-lined wok over a smoldering mix of tea leaves, cassia bark, star anise, rice, and dried orange peel.
Twelve minutes of thick, aromatic smoke later, you’ve got mahogany-skinned chicken with flavor that runs bone-deep.
Brush with sesame oil, chop through the bones with a cleaver, and serve with Hunan red onion pickles for a meal that’ll have your guests speechless.
Chef Tips
- The 24-hour dry marinade is non-negotiable. That’s where the pepper-salt flavor penetrates deep into the meat.
- Use an old wok you don’t mind sacrificing to the smoking gods. The foil lining helps, but smoking does leave its mark.
- Don’t open the wok during the 7-minute resting period. The residual heat and trapped smoke are doing crucial work in there.
- Smash the scallions and ginger coins firmly with the flat of your knife to release their oils before placing them on the chicken.
Ingredients
Directions
Remove the kidneys nestled to either side of the chicken tail bone, then flush the chicken with cold water inside and out - then pat dry.
Heat the salt and peppercorns in a dry skillet over a medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until salt turns off white and peppercorns are very fragrant, about 3 minutes.
Grind the hot mixture to a powder in a food processor or mortar, then sieve to remove peppercorn husks.
Rub pepper-salt, ginger, and orange peel over the outside and inside of the chicken.
Put the chicken, breast-side up in a heat-proof pie plate, and cover with plastic film.
Set aside for 24 hours at room temperature or up to 48 hours in the refrigerator.
Drain the marinating juices.
Smash the scallion lengths and ginger coins to release the juices, then array on top of the chicken and in the cavity.
Steam for 30 minutes over medium-high heat.
Let the chicken rest in the steamer an additional 5 minutes before removing the lid.
Drain the steaming juices. Remove the scallion and ginger.
Line an old wok and lid with super heavy-duty tin foil.
Combine the tea, sugar, rice, peppercorns, anise, cassia bark and dried orange peel, and scatter in the bottom of the lined wok.
Place the chicken breast side up on the oiled smoking rack in the wok set above spices.
Turn heat to high, wait until smoke sends up several thick plumes, then cover wok and crimp foil shut to contain the smoke.
Smoke the chicken over medium-high heat, for 12 minutes, then turn off the heat and let the chicken rest in the sealed wok for 7 minutes.
Remove the bird, brush with sesame oil, then chop into pieces with a thick-bladed cleaver designed to cut through bones.
Garnish the smoked chicken with Hunan Red Onion Pickles.
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