Beggar's Chicken

Ingredients

• 1 whole chicken (3-4 lb)
• 2 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tbsp five-spice powder
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 dried shiitake mushrooms, soaked and sliced
• 1 cup bamboo shoots, sliced
• 3 slices ginger
• 2 scallions, cut into pieces
• 5 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 cups salt, plus water to make a dough
• large lettuce or cabbage leaves
• 1 cup chicken broth
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch

Before you cook

• Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in hot water for 20 minutes, then slice them.
• Rub the chicken all over, inside and out, with the Shaoxing wine, five-spice, soy sauce and sesame oil, and let it marinate for 30 minutes.

Steps

1. Stuff the chicken cavity with the shiitake, bamboo shoots, ginger and scallions.
2. Wrap the stuffed chicken completely in the lettuce or cabbage leaves.
3. Mix the flour and salt with enough water to form a firm, pliable dough.
4. Roll the dough out into a large sheet about 1/4 inch thick.
5. Wrap the leaf-covered chicken tightly in the dough sheet, sealing every seam.
6. Place the wrapped chicken on a baking tray.
7. Bake at 450°F for 1 hour.
8. Lower the oven to 350°F and bake for 2 more hours.
9. Let the parcel rest for 15 minutes.
10. Crack open the hardened crust with the back of a heavy knife.
11. Peel away the dough and the lettuce leaves.
12. Simmer the chicken broth with the oyster sauce in a small pot for 2 minutes.
13. Stir the cornstarch into a little water, then stir it into the broth until it thickens slightly.
14. Pour the sauce over the chicken and serve straight from the crust.