Salt Roasted Chicken with Marinade
Fill the chicken with the marinade, skewer it shut, and allow it to dry for 1 1/2 hours.
Wrap the chicken in a large piece of caul fat or cheesecloth soaked in oil.
Heat the salt in a pot (heavy Dutch oven, big wok or whatever can take the heat) on top of the stove over a low flame or in the oven at 350F for at least 1 hour. Pour off some of the salt, leaving just enough to cover the bottom of the pot. Lay the chicken on top of the salt in the pot and cover it with the remaining salt. Cover the pot and bake the chicken for 1 1/2 hours.
Remove the chicken from the salt.
Pull off the salt that remains caked on the chicken. Be careful, because the salt is hot.
With a paper towel, wipe away the remaining salt (The salt in the pot can be reused).
Peel off the caul fat, drain the marinade, and cut the chicken into bite-size pieces. Serves 4 to 6 as a main course.
May be served hot or cold; if cold, the chicken may be prepared up to a day in advance (do not reheat).
Ingredients:
1 Roasting chicken (4 1/2 to 5 lbs.)
1 lg Piece caul fat or cheesecloth soaked in oil
5 to 6 lb coarse (kosher) salt or rock salt
Marinade:
3 sl Fresh ginger root
3 Whole garlic cloves (lightly crushed)
3 Whole scallions (cut into 3-inch sections)
1 tb Peanut oil
1 tb Bean sauce
2 tb Thin soy sauce
1 tb Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
1 tb Sugar
1 Whole star anise
1 ts Whole Sichuan peppercorns (roasted)
1/4 c Chicken broth
8 Whole stems Chinese parsley