Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken [0001008]

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken (about 3-4 pounds)
3 cups coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
1 tablespoon white peppercorns
6 slices fresh ginger
6 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
4-5 sprigs of fresh cilantro
2-3 stalks of green onions, cut into 2-inch sections
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Instructions:

Rinse the whole chicken under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. Place the chicken on a plate and let it air dry in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours or overnight. This helps the skin become crispy during baking.

Preheat your oven to 350°F (175°C).

In a dry skillet over medium heat, toast the Sichuan peppercorns and white peppercorns until fragrant, about 2-3 minutes. Crush them lightly using a mortar and pestle or a spice grinder.

In a mixing bowl, combine the coarse sea salt, toasted and crushed peppercorns, fresh ginger slices, and crushed garlic.

Stuff the chicken cavity with the fresh cilantro sprigs and green onion sections.

Coat the chicken evenly with vegetable oil, rubbing it all over the skin.

In a baking dish, spread half of the salt mixture evenly to create a salt bed for the chicken.

Place the chicken on top of the salt bed in the baking dish.

Cover the chicken completely with the remaining salt mixture, pressing it onto the chicken to create a salt crust.

Bake the salt-baked chicken in the preheated oven for about 1.5 to 2 hours, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (74°C).

Once done, remove the chicken from the oven and let it rest for about 10-15 minutes.

Carefully crack the salt crust and remove it from the chicken. You can use a mallet or the back of a knife to help with this.

Carve the chicken into serving pieces and arrange them on a serving platter.

Serve your delicious and gluten-free Hakka Salt-Baked Chicken hot as a flavorful and aromatic dish.

Enjoy this flavorful and tender chicken, which is cooked to perfection in a salt crust!