Beggar's Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 3-4 lb whole chicken
• 1/2 cup Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 large leaves dried lotus leaves
• 4 slices ginger
• 4 scallions
• 2 star anise(optional)
• 1 tsp five-spice powder(optional)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 3 cups flour
• 2 tbsp oyster sauce(optional)

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the dried lotus leaves in hot water for 20 minutes until pliable, then pat dry.

2. 2

   Rinse the chicken inside and out, then rub it all over with Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, five-spice powder, brown sugar, and sesame oil.

3. 3

   Stuff the cavity with ginger slices, scallions, and star anise. Place the chicken in a bowl with any remaining marinade, cover, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. 4

   Wrap the marinated chicken tightly in overlapping layers of lotus leaves, then wrap again in parchment paper.

5. 5

   Mix flour with about 1 1/4 cups water to form a stiff dough, roll it out, and use it to completely seal the wrapped chicken so steam cannot escape.

6. 6

   Place the parcel seam-side up on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F (190°C) for 2 to 2.5 hours until the dough shell is browned and the chicken is fall-apart tender.

7. 7

   Crack open the dough shell with a knife, unwrap the lotus leaves carefully (beware escaping steam), and serve the chicken directly in its leaves, drizzled with pan juices.