Crispy Chicken (Jiao Ji)

Ingredients

• 1 fat hen, whole and cleaned
• 4 ounces pork lard (lao)
• 4 star anise
• autumn-pressed soy sauce (qiu you)
• Chinese rice wine (huangjiu)
• whole scallions (green onions)
• sesame oil (香油)

Instructions

1. Clean and prepare the fat hen whole. Place it in a pot of water with the pork lard and star anise, and simmer until the chicken reaches approximately eight-tenths doneness (still slightly underdone to the Western palate, but standard for this tradition's火候 — heat control and timing).
2. Remove the chicken and sear it in sesame oil until the skin turns golden and develops color. Return it to the original braising liquid and reduce the sauce until concentrated and glossy. Season throughout with autumn-pressed soy sauce (秋油 — the autumn pressing yields a distinctive character), Chinese rice wine, and whole scallions. Cook until the flavors meld.
3. When ready to serve, cut the chicken into pieces and arrange on a platter. Spoon the reduced sauce and solids over the top, or serve the sauce alongside for dipping.