Asian Cooking Recipe of Beggars Chicken

It is said in Qing dynasty, at the foot of Yusan Mountain in Changshu, a beggar caught a chicken. He just killed the chicken and got out its viscera. Because there were no boiler or cooking stove, he packed the chicken by using several lotus leaves, and sealed the chicken with mud, then baked it on a simple constructed furnace. He removed mud after the chicken was cooked, the good smell coming out immediately. A lot of people stopped walking, just to breath the fragrant and delicious smell. Later on, this cooking method has spread away wildly. People call this asian cooking recipe beggar's chicken.

• 1 (3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken
• dozen chinese black mushrooms
• 6 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
• 1 (1-inch square) piece fresh ginger root, pared and cut into thin slices
• 4 cups all-purpose flour
• 3 cups salt
• 1 1/2 cups water

Asian Cooking Recipe of Beggars Chicken Directions

Remove giblets from chicken and reserve for another use. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper toweling. Place chicken on large piece of greased extra-wide, heavy duty aluminum foil. Rub or brush 2 1/2 tablespoons of the soy sauce completely over chicken. Rub or brush the oil completely over chicken. Pull skin at neck end under chicken and secure with small skewer. Tuck wing tips under thicken.Combine remaining 4 tablespoons soy sauce, the sherry, sugar, five-spice powder, onions and ginger and cleaned chinese black mushrooms. Pour mixture into cavity of chicken, holding tail end of chicken up slightly so liquid does not run out of cavity. Secure tail end of chicken with small skewers. Wrap foil around chicken, sealing securely.Combine flour and salt in bowl. Gradually mix in enough water to make a firm dough. Roll out dough on lightly floured surface until about 1/4-inch thick (dough must be large enough to completely cover chicken.Place foil-wrapped chicken onto center of dough. Fold dough over chicken, pressing edges and ends together to seal completely. Place chicken in well greased 13 x 9-inch baking pan. Bake chicken in preheated 450 degrees F oven 1 hour. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F. Bake 2 1/2 hours longer.Remove chicken from oven. Using mallet or hammer, break pastry. Remove chicken from pastry and place on serving plate. Carefully remove foil and skewers. Searve and enjoy this amazing Asian Cooking Recipe of Beggars Chicken!!