Beggar's Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), cleaned and patted dry
• 3 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
• 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
• 1 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon ginger, minced
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 6 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated and sliced
• 1/2 cup ground pork
• 1/4 cup bamboo shoots, diced
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 3 dried lotus leaves, soaked until pliable
• 1 sheet parchment paper
• 1 sheet aluminum foil
• 6 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 1/2 cups salt
• 2 cups water

Method

1. 1

   In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, hoisin sauce, five-spice powder, salt, and white pepper. Rub this marinade all over the chicken, inside and out.

2. 2

   Cover the chicken and refrigerate to marinate.

3. 3

   Heat the vegetable oil in a 9-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions, and stir-fry until fragrant, about 1 minute.

   1:00 · Sauté aromatics
4. 4

   Add the shiitake mushrooms, ground pork, and bamboo shoots to the skillet. Stir-fry until the pork is cooked through, about 5 minutes. Stir in the oyster sauce and remove from heat; let the filling cool slightly.

   5:00 · Cook filling
5. 5

   Stuff the cooled filling into the cavity of the marinated chicken.

6. 6

   Wrap the stuffed chicken tightly in the softened lotus leaves, then wrap again in parchment paper followed by aluminum foil to seal in the juices.

7. 7

   In a large bowl, mix the flour and salt, then gradually stir in the water to form a stiff, pliable dough. Knead briefly until smooth.

8. 8

   Roll the dough out into a large sheet about 1/4 inch thick, big enough to fully encase the wrapped chicken. Wrap the dough around the chicken package, sealing all seams completely so no steam can escape.

9. 9

   Place the dough-wrapped chicken on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated 350°F oven until the crust is hardened and golden and the chicken is cooked through.

   3:00:00 · Bake beggar's chicken
10. 10

    Remove from the oven and let rest before cracking open the hardened crust at the table to reveal the chicken and filling.

    15:00 · Rest before serving