So tasty it beggars belief
THERE is, perhaps, no dish more effortlessly matched with family entertaining than roast chicken. Crisp browned skin, tender meat, and a generous serve for everyone — it has all the hallmarks of real hospitality.
But just when you think you have mastered the art of a perfect chook, there’s always one more way to discover great flavours. And let me tell you, this one is amazing.
In the northeast of China, along the rivers of the Jiangsu coast, local chefs are famous for their traditional beggar’s chicken.
Legend claims that some time in the early Qing dynasty, about 400 years ago, a homeless beggar came upon a stray chicken and decided to keep it for himself.
Fearing he would be caught with his illicit dinner, he buried it in the mud beside the river until after dark, then roasted it dirt-and-all, over flames.
The clay baked on hard, and when it was cracked off the chicken inside was magnificent.
The idea is simple — take your dinner, enrobe it in a rolled sheet of local clay, then roast for a long time. It simultaneously locks in juiciness while adding an otherworldly earthy aroma.
To be honest, the clay itself is a bit of a dirty mess to work with, so I tend to use a salt-dough instead.
Basically it’s three-parts flour to one-part fine salt, using just enough egg white to bind it together.
As for flavour, a mixture of Chinese cooking wine, lots of garlic, a hint of honey and plenty of star anise is the ideal blend to take chicken on an amazing new journey.
But remember, the most important part of this recipe is how you deliver it.
This giant brown rock arrives at the table and is cracked open to reveal dinner.
After all, never underestimate the power of a little theatre to make a meal even more delicious.
BEGGAR’S CHICKEN
serves / 6
Ingredients
Whole chicken, approximately 2kg 2 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp chinese cooking wine
6cm piece ginger, finely grated 8 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp honey
1kg plain flour
350g fine salt
4 egg whites
1 bunch green shallots
8 star anise
Steamed gai lan and pak choy, to serve
Method
1. Preheat oven to 200C. Pat the chicken dry inside and out with kitchen paper. Combine the soy, cooking wine, ginger, garlic and honey in a bowl, then rub on to the chicken, spreading under the breast skin and thigh skin. Cover then refrigerate for 4 hours, or overnight.
2. Mix the flour and salt in a bowl, then add the egg whites and 2 tbsp water. Knead thoroughly, then roll out on a lightly-floured board to a large disc ½cm thick. Place the shallots and star anise in the chicken cavity, then wrap the bird with the salt dough. Arrange on a lined oven tray, then bake for 2½ hours. Crack the dough, then serve the chicken with steamed gai lan and pak choy.