Halal Braised Chicken

Halal Braised Chicken

　　　　The halal braised chicken from Ma's Old Chicken Shop in Baoding is renowned far and wide as one of the region’s famous specialty products. With its bright color, beautiful shape, tender meat, and crispy yet soft bones, the chicken is succulent but not falling apart, offering a rich and fragrant taste. The braised chicken from Ma's Old Chicken Shop is made with premium ingredients and crafted with meticulous care. Only plump, well-fleshed live chickens with ample fat are selected, and all must be slaughtered according to Hui Muslim customs, known as "slaughtering fresh, cooking fresh, and selling fresh." Before being put into the pot, any remaining feathers are carefully removed using tweezers. In addition to adding onions, garlic, ginger, Sichuan peppercorns, star anise, cinnamon, angelica, and fennel in the specified proportions, a homemade five-spice powder (containing precious traditional Chinese herbs such as cardamom, nutmeg, and cinnamon) is also included during the cooking process. The cooked chicken is arranged to showcase an elegant form — one wing tucked into the beak, the other folded back, and both feet inserted into the cavity — giving it the full, beautiful shape of a lute. Over time, Ma's Old Chicken Shop discovered the vital importance of the broth made from previous batches of chicken. This broth is rich in concentrated nutrients from countless cooked chickens. Since the nutritional elements in the broth have reached saturation, using it to cook new chicken helps retain the maximum nutrition. This is precisely why the halal braised chicken from Ma's Old Chicken Shop boasts such a rich, fragrant taste while preserving its unique traditional flavor.

(Baoding)