Hakka salt baked chicken
Hakka salt baked chicken, from above
Non vegGuangdong

Hakka salt baked chicken

Buried in hot salt and it comes out tender, not salty. Kitchen magic with a spade.

90 minTime
48 gProtein each
mildSpice
Buried in salt2 chapters · 1 min read

Make it your way

Grandma's wayWhole chicken wrapped in paper and baked in hot salt.
The original
455kcalsame
48 gproteinsame
1 gfibresame
90minutessame

Yan ju ji, the Hakka classic.

Per serving, worked out from the ingredient table.

Ingredients

4 servings
Chicken, curry cut (bone in chicken, small pieces)1 small whole chicken, about 1 kg
Salt2 tsp, for rubbing
Dry ginger powder (ground ginger)2 tsp (or sand ginger powder)
White pepper½ tsp
Gingera thumb, half sliced, half grated for the dip
Spring onion (green onion, scallion)3 stalks
Rock salt (sendha namak)1.5 kg coarse salt, for baking (reusable, not eaten)
Sesame oil2 tsp
Cooking oil (vegetable oil)1½ tbsp, for the dip

Method

6 steps
  1. 1Pat the chicken very dry. Rub inside and out with salt, ginger powder and white pepper. Stuff with sliced ginger and two spring onions. Rest 1 hour.
  2. 2Brush with sesame oil and wrap tightly in two layers of baking paper.
  3. 3Heat the coarse salt in a heavy wok or pot, stirring, until very hot.
  4. 4Scoop out half the salt, nestle in the chicken and cover with the rest. Lid on, lowest heat, 50 to 60 minutes, turning halfway.
  5. 5Unwrap and check: juices run clear and no pink remains at the thigh bone. Rest 10 minutes and cut into pieces.
  6. 6Mix grated ginger, chopped spring onion and a pinch of salt, pour over smoking hot oil and serve as the dip.
Serve it like this

Chop into pieces and arrange on a platter with the skin facing up, ginger and spring onion dip in small dishes and rice on the side.

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Make it a meal

What goes with Hakka salt baked chicken: a bread or rice, a side, something to drink and something sweet.

Bread or rice Methi thepla40 min
Bread or rice Jeera rice30 min
On the side Stir fried bok choy with garlic10 min
On the side Steamed spare ribs with black bean40 min
To drink Lychee fizz6 min
Something sweet Puran poli90 min
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