Ingredients
0.5 tablespoon chicken broth, 1 young hen, 50 g (about 1.8 oz) prawn crackers.
Seasonings
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns, 1 dish of fine salt, 5 teaspoons salt, 5 star anise, 6 g (about 1 teaspoon) each cloves, licorice root, and cinnamon, 20 Sichuan peppercorns, 20 g (about 1 tablespoon) maltose, 1/2 tablespoon each rice wine, vinegar, and boiling water, 500 g (about 1 lb) vegetable oil.
Instructions
1. Clean the chicken thoroughly.
2. Wrap the star anise, cloves, licorice root, cassia cinnamon, and Sichuan peppercorns in cheesecloth and place in a pot with enough water to cover the chicken, then cook for 1 hour, add salt, and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked, then remove and drain.
3. Mix maltose, cooking wine, vinegar, and boiling water in a bowl until well combined, then drizzle the mixture over the chicken and hang it to air-dry for 2 hours.
4. Heat oil in a wok, then pour the hot oil into the chicken cavity. Deep-fry the chicken, moving it constantly, until it turns a deep red color. Remove, cut into pieces, and arrange on a serving plate. Serve with chicken jus and Sichuan peppercorn salt for dipping.