Salt-Roasted Chicken with Marinade

Name: Salt-Roasted Chicken with Marinade
Cook time: P3H
Total time: P3H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: chicken, whole; caul fat; kosher salt; ginger root; garlic cloves; scallions, spring or green onions; peanut oil; soy sauce, tamari; chinese (xiao xiang) wine; sugar; star anise; peppercorns; chicken broth; cilantro; brown bean sauce

This is a good "guest" food. You can appear to have mastered esoteric Oriental cooking techniques without ever having actually prepared the dish before... Unless you drop the pot on the kitchen floor and set it on fire with the hot salt, it's a pretty foolproof cooking technique.

Yield

4 servings

Prep

30 min

Cook

Ready

Trans-fat Free, Low Carb

Ingredients

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Features
4 1/2-5	pounds	whole chicken roasting
1	x	caul fat large piece, or cheesecloth soaked in oil	*
5-6	pounds	kosher salt coarse, or rock
Marinade
3	slices	ginger root fresh
3	whole	garlic cloves lightly crushed	*
3	whole	scallions, spring or green onions cut into 3 inch sections	*
1	tablespoon	peanut oil
2	tablespoons	soy sauce, tamari thin
1	tablespoon	chinese (xiao xiang) wine or sherry, dry	*
1	tablespoon	sugar
1	whole	star anise	*
1	teaspoon	peppercorns whole, roasted, szechuan
¼	cup	chicken broth
8	stems	cilantro whole	*
1	tablespoon	brown bean sauce	*

Ingredients

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Features
		whole chicken roasting
1	x	caul fat large piece, or cheesecloth soaked in oil	*
		kosher salt coarse, or rock

Marinade
3	slices	ginger root fresh
3	whole	garlic cloves lightly crushed	*
3	whole	scallions, spring or green onions cut into 3 inch sections	*
15	ml	peanut oil
3E+1	ml	soy sauce, tamari thin
15	ml	chinese (xiao xiang) wine or sherry, dry	*
15	ml	sugar
1	whole	star anise	*
5	ml	peppercorns whole, roasted, szechuan
59	ml	chicken broth
8	stems	cilantro whole	*
15	ml	brown bean sauce	*

Directions

Fill the chicken with the marinade, skewer it shut, and allow it to dry for 1½ hours.

Wrap the chicken in a large piece of caul fat or cheesecloth soaked in oil.
Heat the salt in a pot, heavy Dutch oven, big wok or whatever can take the heat. On top of the stove over a low flame or in the oven at 350℉ (180℃) for at least 1 hour. Pour off some of the salt, leaving just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Lay the chicken on top of the salt in the pot and cover it with the remaining salt. Cover the pot and bake the chicken for 1½ hours.
Remove the chicken from the salt.
Pull off the salt that remains caked on the chicken. Be careful, because the salt is hot.
With a paper towel, wipe away the remaining salt. (The salt in the pot can be reused.)
Peel off the caul fat, drain the marinade, and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Serves 4 to 6 as a main course. May be served hot or cold; if cold, the chicken may be prepared up to a day in advance. (Do not reheat.) Suggested beverage: Pinot Noir or Burgundy Serve these two recipes with hot mustard, a bowl of hoisin sauce, Chinkiang vinegar, spiced salt and a bowl of chopped green onions for dipping along with some sweet Chinese pickles and lots of ice-cold Oriental beer. Heaven! (And rice ). This marinade can also be used on roasted duck.