Braised Eight-Treasure Chicken

Braised Eight-Treasure Chicken

　　Cuisine: Hunan cuisine

　　Flavor: Salty and savory

　　Price: 10–40 RMB

　　Features: The finished dish has a bright red color, a plump shape, a rich flavor, and is oily and delicious.

　　Ingredients:

　　1500g hen, 50g winter bamboo shoots, 50g lotus seeds, 100g pork fat, 25g coix seed, 50g ham, 25g dried shrimp, 20g dried shiitake mushrooms, 13g starch (broad bean), 100g green onions, 50g yellow wine, 50g soy sauce, 15g white sugar, 2g monosodium glutamate, 25g glutinous rice wine, 1g pepper, 15g sesame oil, 5g salt, 100g lard (refined), 15g scallions, 15g ginger.

　　Preparation Method:

　　1. Clean a Sanhuang hen by removing feathers and tail feathers, debone while keeping the skin intact; soak and clean dried shiitake mushrooms and remove stems; soak and prepare dried shrimp; cut pork fat, winter bamboo shoots, and ham into cubes; rinse coix seed once; split green onions lengthwise and cut into 7cm segments, crush ginger and green onions.

　　2. Heat a wok over high heat, add lard, and heat until 60% hot. Add pork fat, winter bamboo shoots, dried shrimp, ham, and shiitake mushrooms, stir-fry until fragrant. Add yellow wine, 20g soy sauce, and a little salt, stir-fry briefly. Then add white lotus seeds, coix seed, monosodium glutamate, and pepper, mix well to form stuffing.

　　3. Stuff the prepared filling into the chicken cavity, sew the opening with needle and thread, dry the surface, and brush with sweet wine.

　　4. Heat refined lard in a wok until 60% hot, add the chicken and deep-fry until red, then remove.

　　5. Line a clay pot with bamboo mat, place the fried chicken inside, add 30g soy sauce, yellow wine, white sugar, green onions, ginger, and water (enough to submerge the chicken). Cover with a plate, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off foam, then simmer over low heat for about 2 hours until the skin is crispy and the meat is tender.

　　6. Heat refined lard in a wok over high heat, add 100g green onions and 2g salt, stir-fry briefly, then transfer to a plate.

　　7. Remove the braised chicken and place it on a deep plate, garnished with green onions on both sides.

　　8. Heat the braising liquid in a wok over high heat, bring to a boil, thicken with diluted cornstarch, sprinkle with pepper, drizzle with sesame oil, and pour over the chicken to serve.

　　Tip: Due to the deep-frying process, prepare 1000g of refined lard.