Peking Duck - one of the most , if not the most famous of Chinese dishes. Found in every Chinese restaurant and takeout joint, and now in your kitchen! We've taken the ancient 48 hour long process, shortened it by some 46 hours, and made it way more accessible with the humble chicken... but this dish is far from humble.
Start by making the brine - add all the ingredients to a pot, bring to the boil and allow to cool completely before adding the chicken, and brining for a minimum of 1 hour.
Remove the chicken and pat dry, and if you have the time and space, allow to air dry in your fridge for another 30 minutes (optional). Once dry, fill the carcass with ginger, garlic and spring onions, truss the chicken tight, and cover with neutral oil. Start roasting at 250°c, for the first 15 minutes, before turning down to 190°c for the remaining 45 minutes.
Whist the chicken roasts, make your glaze, by bringing all the ingredients for the glaze to the boil, and simmering until thick and glossy.
At minute 45 of cooking the chicken, remove from the oven and glaze. Place back in the oven and repeat this process another 2 times every 5 minutes, and leaving to it finish cooking for the last 5 minutes. The internal temperature should be 76°c, so check and if the chicken needs longer, roast for another 5-10 minutes (for bigger chickens).
And that's it! Arrange plates of fresh cucumber and spring onion, rice, pancakes and more of that sweet bean paste, and carve the chicken, breast first, then dark meat, and enjoy!
