As he was cracking open the chicken, the emperor was passing and stopped to share the meal. The emperor was so taken with the taste that
the dish was added to the menu of the imperial court. A lovely story,
right?
Now, I don’t believe for a minute that it’s true (an emperor sharing a chicken baked in dirt with a beggar?), but I love that in China there
are thousands of stories like this. Food is given its own mythology,
from poetic names to elaborate legends, and every dish tells a story
about the human condition.In a small bowl, combine the salt, soy sauce,
Shaoxing wine and five-spice, stirring to dissolve the salt. Rub the
mixture all over the chicken, then cover and marinate in the fridge
overnight. Soak the lotus seeds (for the stuffing) in cold water
overnight.
The next day, soak the dried lotus leaves in warm water for 30 minutes, and the dried shiitake mushrooms (for the stuffing) in hot
water for 20 minutes. Trim the stalks from the mushrooms and set the
caps aside.
To make the stuffing, heat a wok over high heat and add the oil. Fry the garlic and ginger for about one minute, or until fragrant, then add
the pork and Chinese sausage and fry, stirring occasionally, for about
three minutes, until the pork is browned. Add the shiitake mushrooms,
preserved cabbage, angelica, lotus seeds, soy sauce and Shaoxing wine
and toss to combine.
For the dough crust, knead half the flour, half the salt and 700ml water in an electric stand mixer fitted with a dough hook for about five
minutes, until a smooth dough forms. Roll the dough out on a lightly
floured surface to about one centimetre thick. Repeat with the remaining
flour, salt and the same quantity of water to make a second sheet of
dough.
Lay the soaked lotus leaves over one piece of dough and place the chicken on top.
Place the other dough sheet on top of the chicken and pinch to secure the chicken in a package without large air pockets.Brush with the
beaten egg, place in a roasting tin and bake for 3½ hours. Remove from
the oven and rest for 20 minutes, then crack open the dough and unwrap
the chicken to serve.
