I always thought making this traditional salted chicken is a tedious job but this has proved me wrong ! It is actually so easy to prepare and as well to handle too, especially if you're using an oven. Unlike beggar chicken (乞丐鸡）, salt-baked chicken (盐焗鸡) only uses very few ingredients. There are actually a few very popular places selling Salt-Baked Chicken throughout Malaysia, but still Ipoh considered as the most famous one for time being. Thanks to
Elin for the inspiration. Please read on to find out more.
Ingredients :
1 free range chicken or
ayam kampung (around 1.3kg)
4 slices
dang gui (angelica root)
4 TB
Chinese rice wine or shaoxing wine
1 tspn fine salt
1 tspn
dang gui powder
1/2 tspn vegetarian granule
1/4 tspn pepper
2 kg coarse salt (3kg for wok user)
* double layer greaseproof paper
Method :
(1) mix together dang gui powder, salt & pepper and granule till well combined. Then marinade chicken with the seasoning mixture and let to rest for an hour.
(2) at the same time, soak "dang gui" into rice wine and let to rest as well.
(3) now, gather 2kg of coarse salt into a wok and cook over medium heat till salt became hot enough.
(4) place marinated chicken to a double layer large baking paper, and pour rice wine mixture into the chicken core then fold paper to wrap it nicely by making sure no leakage. (as picture shown above)
(5) at this point, coarse salt should be hot enough. Prepare a small pot which is just nice to fit in the chicken. Place some hot salt to the bottom of the pot.
(6) place in the chicken and there should be spaces in between (as picture shown above).
(7) now, slowly cover chicken with coarse salt. To prevent coarse salt from falling apart, I secure it with aluminium foil.
(8) finally, bake at preheated oven 200'C for an hour then 180'C for another 60 minutes.
And this is how it looks after fully covered with coarse salt. The salt became harden after baking and you need to crack them off to dig out your meal, of course.
hahaha......
Well, it's all worth it though ! It tastes so much difference from the common steamed chicken. The smell and taste of angelica root and wine has totally infused into the chicken, and the meat is absolutely scrumptious & tender. My boy took half bird. So, do I need to explain more ! >o< Another winner indeed. Hope you guys will love it too. Enjoy !
