Ingredients
1 whole hen, fresh lotus leaves, parchment paper, clay from a wine jar, shelled shrimp, diced chicken gizzards, lean pork, diced cooked ham, diced rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, and dried shrimp, all to taste.
Seasonings
Pork caul fat, Shaoxing wine, salt, soy sauce, scallion segments, minced ginger, cloves, star anise, ground sand ginger (kaempferia galanga), sesame oil, and lard, each to taste.
Instructions
1. Remove the feet, claws, and ribs from the chicken, take out the innards, use the back of a knife to break the leg, wing, and neck bones, place in a pot, add soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and salt to marinate for 1 hour, remove, grind cloves and star anise into powder, mix with sand ginger powder and rub all over the chicken, heat lard in a wok, fry scallions and ginger until fragrant then remove them.
2. Add the shrimp, diced chicken gizzards, diced shiitake mushrooms, diced ham, and dried shrimp to a wok and stir-fry a few times. Splash in Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and white sugar, and stir-fry until just cooked through. Let cool, then stuff the mixture into the chicken cavity. Tuck the chicken head into the neck opening, insert cloves under the wings, and wrap the chicken tightly with pork caul fat. Wrap in several layers of fresh lotus leaves and tie securely with kitchen twine. Crush the wine jar clay into a powder, mix with water until it forms a sticky paste, and spread it evenly onto a damp cloth. Place the wrapped chicken in the center of the clay, lift the cloth to encase the chicken completely, pressing the clay firmly around it. Remove the cloth, wrap the clay-coated chicken in parchment paper, and poke a small hole in the paper.
3. Place the chicken in the oven and roast at high heat for about 40 minutes, then remove and seal the opening with wet wine jar clay, roast for another half hour, then roast at low heat for 80 minutes, and finally at the lowest heat for 90 minutes. Remove from the oven, crack off the clay, remove the string and lotus leaves, transfer to a serving plate, and drizzle with sesame oil. This dish is full of natural juices and flavors, with a shiny golden skin and tender, succulent meat that falls off the bone.