Rural-style Clay Pot Chicken

Rural-style Clay Pot Chicken

　　Clay pot dishes originated in the Weishan Lake area at the border of northern Jiangsu and southern Shandong. In the past, fishermen living on Weishan Lake, due to limited conditions on their boats, would often use a small earthen stove with an iron pot placed on top. They would set a few pieces of dry firewood underneath to light a fire, then cook a pot of home-style dishes. Around the edge of the pot, they would stick flatbread, giving rise to this cooking method that combines both food and bread. Clay pot dishes have relatively little broth, with a rich and savory flavor — the bread absorbs the taste of the dish, while the dish takes on the aroma of the bread, featuring a texture that is both soft and smooth as well as dry and fragrant. Today, chefs have improved upon the traditional method of making clay pot dishes, resulting in a variety of delicious offerings such as Clay Pot Chicken, Clay Pot Fish, Clay Pot Beef, Clay Pot Three Delicacies, Clay Pot Tofu, and Clay Pot Crayfish.

Ingredients:

600g free-range chicken, 300g flour, 80g cornmeal, 2 eggs, 15g ginger slices, 25g garlic cloves, 2 green and red bell peppers, star anise, Sichuan peppercorns, salt, cooking wine, dark soy sauce, Maggi seasoning sauce, spicy chili powder, chicken essence, MSG, and chicken stock as needed, 250g refined oil.

Preparation:

1. Main ingredient: Clean the free-range chicken, cut into chunks, and blanch. Set aside.

2. Side ingredients: In a bowl, combine flour and cornmeal, crack in the eggs, add a little salt and MSG, then mix in an appropriate amount of water to form a dough of moderate hardness. Divide the dough into 25g portions (about 16 pieces), shape into balls, slightly soak in water, then flatten into thin pancakes. Stick these to the edge of the pot and slowly bake over low heat.

3. Cooking process: In another pot, heat oil and sauté ginger slices, garlic cloves, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant. Add the chicken chunks, pour in cooking wine, and stir-fry until most of the moisture has evaporated. Add chicken stock, cover, and simmer until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked. Add green and red bell peppers, then season with salt, MSG, chicken essence, spicy chili powder, and Maggi seasoning sauce. After a short while, add a little dark soy sauce to adjust the color. Transfer everything into the pot with the flatbreads, serve with an alcohol burner (or small earthen stove) on the table.