Dezhou Braised Chicken
A traditional specialty of Dezhou, Shandong, fried and then braised until the meat falls off the bone, with a golden hue and rich aroma.
Ingredients
whole chicken (plucked, eviscerated, washed; back broken, feet tucked into cavity, patted dry)
1
maltose (mixed with 50g water to a smooth consistency)
to taste
peanut oil (for frying)
to taste
water (enough to submerge the chicken)
to taste
spices (crushed and wrapped in a cloth)
to taste
oyster mushrooms
to taste
soy sauce
to taste
fine salt
to taste
ginger
to taste
Instructions
1
Step 1
Break the chicken’s back, cross its feet and tuck them into the cavity, then pat the chicken dry.
2
Step 2
Mix the maltose with 50g of water until smooth, then coat the chicken evenly with the mixture. Heat peanut oil in a pot over medium-high heat to 80% of its smoking point, add the chicken and fry until golden brown, then remove and drain excess oil.
3
Step 3
Place the fried chicken in the pot, add enough water to fully submerge it. Wrap the crushed spices in a cloth, then add the bundle, oyster mushrooms, soy sauce, fine salt, and ginger to the pot. Use chopsticks to press the chicken down to keep it submerged, bring to a boil over high heat, skim off any surface foam, then reduce to low heat and simmer until the chicken is tender. When removing the chicken, take care not to tear the skin to preserve its appearance.
