Total cooking time: 35 minutes
Serves 6
Difficulty: Medium
1 x 1.7kg (3½lb) chicken
¼ cup (60ml/2 fl oz) soy sauce
1 tablespoon finely grated fresh ginger
2 pieces dried mandarin or tangerine peel
1 star anise
¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
¼ cup (45g/1½oz) soft brown sugar
1. Wash the chicken in cold water. Pat dry with paper towels. Discard any large deposits of fat from inside the chicken. Place the chicken in a large bowl with the soy sauce and grated ginger. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or overnight, turning occasionally.
2. Place a small rack in the base of a pan large enough to hold the chicken. Add water to this level. Place the chicken on the rack and bring the water to the boil. Cover tightly, reduce the heat and steam for 15 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow to stand, covered, for another 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a bowl.
3. Wash the pan and line with three or four large pieces of aluminium foil. Pound the dried peel and star anise in a mortar and pestle or crush with a rolling pin until the pieces are the size of coarse breadcrumbs. Add the five-spice powder and sugar, and spread over the foil.
4. Replace the rack in the pan and place the chicken on it. Place the pan over medium heat and, when the spice mixture starts smoking, cover tightly. Reduce the heat to low and smoke the chicken for 20 minutes. Test for doneness by piercing the thigh with a skewer. The juices should run clear. Remove the chicken from pan and allow to cool before jointing it or chopping it Chinese-style.
Nutrition per serving
Protein 46g; Fat 4.5g; Carbohydrate 10g; Dietary Fibre 0g; Cholesterol 100mg; 1126kJ (270kcal)
Variation:
If you wise to save on cooking time, try the same method using half chicken breast fillets. Six fillets will take 7 minutes to steam; smoking will take 8 minutes each side. Overnight marinating is not necessary in this instance.
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