Name: Steamed Fried Chicken
Cuisine: China
Ingredients: 1 small knob of ginger, peeled and chopped; 2 long red chillies, deseeded and chopped; 1 small handful of coriander (cilantro) leaves; 2 cloves garlic, chopped; 4 coriander (cilantro) roots, scraped and chopped; 2 teaspoons finely chopped ginger; 3 spring onions (scallions), finely chopped 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce; 2 teaspoons five-spice powder vegetable oil, for deep-frying; 1 × 1.1 kg (2 lb 7 oz) free-range or organic chicken; 1 teaspoon sea salt; 1 tablespoon shaoxing; ½ teaspoon sea salt, extra; 1 tablespoon peanut oil; a pinch of sea salt; 2 tablespoons peanut oil

Preparation info

Difficulty
Medium

Appears in

Balance and Harmony

By Neil Perry

Published 2008

About

This can seem messy, but deep-frying the chicken changes the skin texture and is an important part of the dish. It’s great at room temperature, so make it a few hours before your guests arrive and just pop it on the table.

Ingredients

1 × 1.1 kg (2 lb 7 oz) free-range or organic chicken

Method

Rinse the chicken inside and out and pat dry with paper towel. Rub the salt and five-spice powder into the skin and leave for 20 minutes. Heat the oil in a wok or deep-fryer until just smoking (180°C/350°F), and deep-fry the whole chicken for 8 minutes, until the skin turns golden. Remove and leave to cool.

Put the bird on a chopping board and cut out the backbone, then