Ingredients
1 young chicken (about 1000 g / 2.2 lbs), 100 g (3.5 oz) pork, 50 g (1.75 oz) each of preserved winter vegetables and lettuce.
Seasonings
300 g (about 10.5 oz) pork caul fat, 50 g (about 1.8 oz) lard, 25 g (about 0.9 oz) minced scallions, 20 g each of bean starch, Shaoxing wine, and sweet bean sauce, 15 g each of soy sauce, egg white, sesame oil, and ginger, 10 g (about 0.35 oz) pickled chili peppers, 5 g each of sugar and sesame oil, 2 g (about 0.07 oz) salt.
Instructions
1. Clean and slaughter the young chicken, make a small opening to remove the innards, then discard the head, wings, wing tips, feet, and leg bones. After washing, rub the chicken inside and out with soy sauce, cooking wine, minced ginger, and minced scallions, then marinate for about 1 hour. Wash the pork caul fat and cut it into 3 large sheets. Shred the pork. Cut the preserved mustard greens and pickled chili peppers into short sections. Mix egg whites with bean starch to form a paste.
Place a wok over high heat and add lard, heating until it reaches about 200°C (400°F). Mix the shredded pork with salt, Shaoxing wine, and bean starch, then add to the wok and stir-fry until the meat separates. Add the chopped preserved mustard greens (tian cai) and stir-fry evenly, then remove from heat and let cool. Once cooled, mix in the chopped pickled chilies, then stuff this mixture into the chicken cavity. Brush the outside of the chicken with sesame oil, then wrap the chicken tightly in pork caul fat, applying three layers total—on the second and third layers, brush the caul fat with a mixture of egg white and bean starch paste. Using a double-pronged iron skewer, pierce through the chicken horizontally between the wing and thigh, then place it over an open flame, turning continuously. Roast until the outer layer of caul fat is crispy, blistered, and golden brown, and the chicken is fully cooked. Wipe the skewer clean, remove it, and peel off the caul fat. Cut both the crispy caul fat and the chicken meat into strips, and arrange them at opposite ends of a long serving platter.
3. Remove the ginger, scallions, and pickled chili from the chicken cavity, then arrange the chicken on a platter with lettuce. Serve alongside a dipping sauce made by mixing sweet bean sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, and garnish with chopped scallions. This dish features tender chicken, crispy caul fat, and a savory, flavorful stuffing.