Salt-Smothered Chicken

Name: Salt-Smothered Chicken
Cook time: P1H
Total time: P2H
Yield: 4
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: broiler fryers; ginger root; scallions, spring or green onions; cilantro; tangerine peel; salt; peppercorns; cointreau; water; cornstarch; chicken broth; rock salt; cilantro

Yield

4 servings

Prep

30 min

Cook

1 hrs

Ready

2 hrs

Low Fat, Fat-Free, Low in Saturated Fat, Low Cholesterol, Cholesterol-Free, Trans-fat Free, Low Carb, Sugar-Free

Ingredients

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Features
1	whole	broiler fryers	*
1	teaspoon	ginger root minced
1	each	scallions, spring or green onions cut in 1/4inch rounds
1	teaspoon	cilantro minced	*
1	piece	tangerine peel dried, (1 inch in diameter)	*
1 ½	teaspoons	salt
⅛	teaspoon	peppercorns szechuan
2	teaspoons	cointreau or orange wine	*
1	cup	water warm
2	teaspoons	cornstarch
2	tablespoons	chicken broth cold, or cold water
5	pounds	rock salt (kosher)	*
1	x	cilantro for decorating	*

Ingredients

Amount	Measure	Ingredient	Features
1	whole	broiler fryers	*
5	ml	ginger root minced
1	each	scallions, spring or green onions cut in 1/4inch rounds
5	ml	cilantro minced	*
1	piece	tangerine peel dried, (1 inch in diameter)	*
7.5	ml	salt
0.6	ml	peppercorns szechuan
1E+1	ml	cointreau or orange wine	*
237	ml	water warm
1E+1	ml	cornstarch
3E+1	ml	chicken broth cold, or cold water
2.3	kg	rock salt (kosher)	*
1	x	cilantro for decorating	*

Directions

BEFORE COOKING: Wash bird and blot dry with paper towels. Hang for 1 to 2 hours in a cool, dry place.

Combine the ginger root, scallion, parsley, dried tangerine peel, salt, pepper, orange wine and water in the bowl. Tie or sew the bird's neck opening.

Pour the marinade into the body cavity. Sew cavity shut to prevent marinade from leaking.

Combine cornstarch and stock or water. Have rock salt ready to go.

COOKING: Put the rock salt in the casserole.

Turn heat to high and stir salt crystals until they become red-hot, about 30 minutes.

Scoop out enough salt to make a well in which you can place the chicken, leaving a bed of salt about 2 inches thick.

Place the filled bird breast-side-down in the salt and pack it all around with the scooped-out salt.

Cover casserole and reduce heat to medium-low. Cook for 45 to 60 minutes.

Remover bird and cut away threads. Pour marinade from the cavity into a strainer over the pint saucepan. Chop chicken into Chinese-style serving pieces and arrange on a platter.

Heat the marinade over medium heat until boiling. Give the cornstarch-stock mixture a quick stir to dissolve any lumps; add to marinade.

Stir for 1 to 2 minutes or until the mixture becomes clear. Pour over bird. Decorate with sprigs of Chinese parsley and serve.