Huangzhi Dried Chicken

Choose fresh small native chickens weighing 2.5-3 jin. When buying, ask the seller to cut them open without breaking them.

Clean thoroughly and hang up to let the water drain.

Take an appropriate amount of dried gardenia, smash it with a knife or cut it in half, and soak it in clean water for 20 minutes.

Pour salt into the frying pan, and on low heat, stir-fry while gradually adding the yellow gardenia water.

Stir-fry until golden and dry, forming granular pieces.

Sauté bay leaves, fennel seeds, star anise, and Sichuan peppercorns until fragrant, then crush them and mix evenly with salt and dried gardenia seeds.

Spray the chicken, which has been dried of moisture, inside and out with a layer of high-proof liquor to kill bacteria. Then evenly coat it inside and out with the prepared marinade.

Put it in the container.

Seal and marinate in a cool place for 3 days.

Take it out and use a basin to wash off the excess marinade with 60-degree warm water. Start by placing them on the balcony, spreading open each one’s belly to dry.

Hang dry for 5-6 days.

Each one has started to turn golden, and the back is dripping with oil, so you need to protect the tiles.

It's fine to dry it for just 4 days.

Soak for 1 hour to remove excess salt.

After cutting into pieces, add scallions, ginger, oyster sauce, and a few drops of light soy sauce. Steam in a pot of boiling water for 25 minutes.

This has been sun-dried for 7 days and has dried.

Today I will steam one and give it a try.

Looks good.

It smells good.

Delicious 😊