CHINESE COOKING: Crispy chicken is probably one of the most popular dishes being served at Chinese restaurants. To make it at home is quite labour intensive, but might be very satisfying to accomplish.

CRISPY-SKINNED CHICKEN脆皮雞:



1 whole spring chicken, 2 ½ to 3 lbs. in weight

cooking oil for deep-frying


seasoning:

2 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. dark soy sauce
1 tsp. 5-spice powder
1 tbsp. tapioca starch
1 tbsp. rice wine
1-2 tbsp. Chinese malt sugar ****


****fried shrimp-flavoured chips****

****prepared Sichuan pepper salt****




Rinse and pat dry chicken inside and outside, making sure it is completely dry.


Bring a large pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add chicken and bring water back to boil. Reduce heat to low and blanch chicken, turning over several times, for 5 minutes. This is to cook the outer skin to make it tough.

Remove chicken and let cool. Rub salt and 5-spice power all over chicken cavity; then rub soy sauce all over the skin. After that, repeatedly malt sugar**** all over the skin and dust it with a layer of tapioca starch.

Wrap a long piece of kitchen string under the wings, make a loop and tie a knot with the ends of the string. Hang chicken up by the string in a well-ventilated spot for 4-6 hours or overnight to dry.

In wok or large deep saucepan, heat enough oil to cover chicken over high heat until 375 degrees F, or until tested ready with a chopstick. Very carefully, lower chicken into hot oil. Reduce heat to medium and cook chicken, turning over and over continuously while ladling hot oil over skin, until skin is evenly brown and chicken is just cooked. Turn heat up to high and crisp skin for 3-4 minutes.

Cut chicken into bite-sized pieces and arrange pieces back into the shape of chicken on a serving platter. Scatter shrimp-flavoured chips around chicken. Serve Sichuan pepper salt on the side.

Chicken can be partially cooked in advance. Before serving, heat oil to very hot and deep-fry chicken for a few minutes to crisp skin and to cook chicken completely. Take care not to overcook.


****Packages of shrimp-flavoured chips are available from Chinese market. Cook them by dropping a handful at a time into hot oil. They puff up and become cooked very quickly. Drain well before serving


**** Sichuan pepper salt is made by toasting 2 tbsp. Sichuan peppercorns and ½ cup salt together in a dry skillet over medium-low heat for 1-2 minutes. Remove and ground fine in a spice grinder.


**** If malt sugar cannot be found, substitute with a mixture of 3 tbsp. honey and 2 tbsp. vinegar and 3 tbsp. boiling water.