| Cantonese Crackling Chicken ~ This dish can be eaten like you would Peking Duck. Many tasty Chinese dishes require a long and sometimes elaborate preparation time. This is one of those dishes. It's the long air drying and preparation that gives the chicken the crackling skin. 3 - 4 pound fryer chicken 1 tbsp salt 2½ tbsp honey 2½ tbsp dry sherry 1 tbsp cornstarch ~~~~~ oil for deep frying 1. Clean the chicken inside and out. Immerse in a pan of boiling water for 3-4 seconds. Dry it with paper towels and hang it up to dry for 3 hours; then rub with salt and leave it in an airy place overnight. 2. Mix the honey, sherry, and cornstarch into a paste and rub the chicken with this mixture, inside and out. Leave it to dry for a few hours or overnight. 3. The chicken should be placed in a wire basket suspended above a deep frying pan containing hot oil ( I use a wok). To start, pour oil continually with a large ladle inside the chicken, (cooking from the inside out) when the chicken is almost done, pour the oil on the outside until it is evenly browned and crispy. This method is known as "Ling" or "splash-frying". This process takes about 15-20 minutes. 4. Chop the chicken into serving pieces or double-Mahjong pieces and serve on a well-heated dish. Or, slice off the crackling skin and serve it like Peking Duck in thin pancakes, accompanied with scallions, cucumber, and Plum Sauce. Serves 4 - 6 |
 | |  | |  |
