Hakka Classic

鹽 焗 雞 Hakka: yam kuk gai; Mandarin: yan ju ji

The Chinese nomads had no ovens. To roast a chicken, the resourceful cooks buried the bird in a pit of hot salt and rocks. The salt absorbed the heat and transferred it to the chicken. The result was an aromatic, lightly browned bird with juicy flesh.

This signature dish, salt-baked chicken, frequently appears on Cantonese and Hakka restaurant menus. We ate it many times in China, where restaurants have a large kitchen staff to cook the chicken traditionally, which demands time and some attention. Outside of China, it is rarely prepared in the traditional way. Most restaurants and home cooks take shortcuts and poach the bird in brine or steam a salt-rubbed chicken. These techniques result in a bird with juicy, smooth flesh and white skin that somewhat resembles the Steeped Whole Chicken that cooks in residual heat.