Li Laoyao Roast Chicken

Li Laoyao Roast Chicken

　　Li Laoyao Roast Chicken

　　Roast chicken recipe: (1)

　　Chicken selection and slaughtering: Choose healthy chickens aged between six months and two years, weighing 1–1.5 kg. Slaughter by neck-cutting to bleed, pluck feathers, open the abdomen, remove internal organs, cut off both claws, clean blood residue inside the body cavity, and remove any debris from the mouth. (2)

　　Shaping: Place the cleaned chicken on a cutting board, belly side up. Hold the chicken with one hand and use a knife in the other to cut along the rib bones. Prop up the body cavity with straw, then insert both legs into the incision and cross the wings into the mouth to shape the chicken into a pointed oval form. Rinse with water, hang to dry. (3)

　　Seasoning: Use master stock. For every 100 chickens, mix in 15g of cardamom, 15g of nutmeg, 3g of cloves, 30g of black cardamom, 90g of cinnamon, 90g of galangal, 30g of dried tangerine peel, 90g of angelica dahurica, 2–3 kg of salt, and 18g of saltpeter. (4)

　　Frying: After draining the moisture from the chicken,

　　coat the surface with a layer of syrup or honey glaze in a ratio of syrup/honey to water of 2:3. Then fry the chicken in oil at 150–160°C, turning it for about half a minute until it turns persimmon yellow. Be careful not to pierce the skin when lifting the chicken. Use a meat fork to hold the neck and place it on a plate to cool. (5)

　　Cooking: Layer the fried chickens in the pot, cover them with aged master stock mixed with seasoning, ensuring the liquid submerges the chickens. Cover the pot with a bamboo steamer. First bring the broth to a boil over high heat, then simmer over low heat until fully cooked. Typically, young chickens take about 2 hours, while older chickens over two years may need 4–5 hours. Adjust timing based on age and size — mastering the heat significantly affects the quality and flavor of the roast chicken. (6)

　　Serving: Once cooked, as the chicken becomes very tender, take care to lift it out intact. Prepare a ladle, fork, chopsticks, and serving dish beforehand. Skim off the floating oil from the broth surface, then use a fork to hold the neck and two chopsticks to stabilize the straw inside the abdomen. Work together to quickly lift the chicken out and place it on the steamer, keeping its shape intact. Quality traits: The finished roast chicken has a light red color with a hint of tender yellow, an intact shape, unbroken skin, no fluff, and a rich savory taste. It is salty and delicious, tender enough that the meat falls off the bone, and considered premium when the bite is even. Xixiang roast chicken is quite famous, among which Li Laoyao Roast Chicken is the most renowned.