Steamed Chicken with Oyster Sauce

Steamed Chicken with Oyster Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 whole fryer chicken or capon, about 3 1/4 lb.

2 tsp. rice wine

1 oz (25g) dried Chinese black mushrooms, soaked and sliced

3 tbsp scallions, chopped

2 oz (50g) Yunan preserved vegetable (a kind of salted mustard), sliced

2 cups (500ml) chicken stock)

2 1/2 tbsp sugar

1/4 tsp. ground Sichuan peppercorn

1/4 tsp. sesame oil

2 tsp. soy sauce

4 cups (1 litre ) vegetable oil for deep-frying

2 oz (50g) bamboo shoots, sliced

5 tsp. fresh ginger, sliced

1 oz (25g) dates

2 tbsp oyster sauce

1 tsp. salt, or to taste

2 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water

2 tbsp MSG (optional)

RECIPE

Mix soy sauce and rice wine and rub over the chicken inside and out. Heat the oil in a wok to 230^oF (110^oC). Add the chicken and deep-fry until brown. Remove and drain. Pour the oil out of the wok.
Blanch the mushrooms and bamboo shoot slices briefly in boiling water, drain, and set aside.
Pour 3 1/2 oz (100ml) of oil back into the wok over high heat to 340^oF (170^oC) until the surface ripples. Add the scallions and ginger and stir-fry. Add the remaining rice wine, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, preserved vegetable, dates, stock, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, peppercorn and chicken. Boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer chicken until cooked. Add MSG(optional).
Remove mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and dates, and place in serving dish. Remove chicken, chop into 1 by 2 inch (3cm by 5cm ) chunks, and stack in the serving dish. Discard preserved vegetable. Stir cornstarch-water mixture, add to the wok, stirring, until thick. Pour over the chicken and serve.