Beggar's Chicken

Name: Beggar's Chicken
Cook time: 235 min
Total time: 235 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 Whole Chicken, 1.5–1.8 kg, giblets removed, patted dry; 3 tbsp Shaoxing Wine; 2 tbsp Light Soy Sauce; 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 1 tsp Chinese Five-Spice Powder; 1 tsp Granulated Sugar; 1 tsp Fine Salt; 1/2 tsp Ground White Pepper; 1 tsp Sesame Oil; 40g Shiitake Mushrooms, dried, soaked until soft, stems removed, sliced; 80g Jinhua Ham, or Chinese cured ham; diced; 100g Bamboo Shoots, diced; 100g Water Chestnuts, diced; 3 Scallions, cut into 4–5 cm pieces; 6 slices of Ginger; 4 cloves of Garlic, sliced; 1 tbsp Peanut Oil, or neutral oil; 1 tbsp Shaoxing Wine, for the stuffing; 1 tbsp Light Soy Sauce, for the stuffing; 3 large Dried Lotus Leaves, soaked in hot water until pliable; 500g All-purpose Flour; 10g Fine Salt; 300ml Water, approximately, to form a firm dough

Beggar's Chicken is an indulgent, aromatic whole-bird dish where a marinated chicken is stuffed with savory fillings, wrapped in lotus leaves and a flour crust, then slow-baked until meltingly tender. The result is a dramatic presentation: crack open the sealed parcel to release a heady steam of soy, five-spice and Shaoxing wine, with rich notes from Jinhua ham and shiitake mushrooms. It’s rustic comfort with elegant Chinese flavors—perfect for a special meal.

Beggar's Chicken is an indulgent, aromatic whole-bird dish where a marinated chicken is stuffed with savory fillings, wrapped in l... Show more

Traditional Chinese Recipe

Health Grade

B+ · Healthy

Time

3 hrs30 min

Price

1,90 €

Calories

557 kcal

low calorie

high protein

low carb

keto

Method

Marinate the chicken

Pat the Whole Chicken dry inside and out. In a bowl, whisk together Shaoxing Wine, Light Soy Sauce, Dark Soy Sauce, Chinese Five-Spice Powder, Granulated Sugar, Fine Salt, Ground White Pepper, and Sesame Oil, then rub it all over the chicken and into the cavity. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes while you soak the Dried Lotus Leaves and Shiitake Mushrooms in separate bowls of hot Water until pliable and softened.

Prep the filling

Lift out the softened lotus leaves and mushrooms and let them drain well. Trim the stems from the shiitake and slice the caps if needed. Dice Jinhua Ham, Bamboo Shoots, and Water Chestnuts into small, even pieces, then cut the Scallion into 4–5 cm pieces and slice the Ginger and Garlic.

Cook the stuffing

Heat Peanut Oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the ginger and garlic first and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, then add the ham, shiitake, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and scallion. Splash in the remaining Shaoxing wine and light soy sauce, and cook, stirring, until the filling is glossy and the pan is nearly dry. Scrape it into a bowl and let it cool.

Make the dough

In a large bowl, mix the All-purpose Flour with the remaining salt, then drizzle in water a little at a time until a firm dough forms. Knead for about 5 minutes until smooth and elastic, cover it, and let it rest for 20 minutes.

Wrap the chicken

Spoon the cooled stuffing into the chicken cavity without packing it too tightly. Lift the chicken out of the marinade and let the excess drip off, then pat the lotus leaves dry and lay them over the bird in overlapping layers. Wrap the parcel snugly in the dough and pinch the seams closed so no steam can escape.

Bake the parcel

Preheat the oven to 180°C. Set the wrapped chicken seam-side down on a baking tray and bake for 2 hours 15 minutes, until the crust is deeply browned and hard to the touch. If the top darkens too quickly, tent it loosely with foil; if you're checking with a thermometer, the thickest part should reach 74°C.

Rest and serve

Let the chicken rest for 15 minutes so the juices settle. Crack open the dough shell, peel away the lotus leaves, and carve the chicken into portions. Spoon the stuffing and pan juices over the top and serve right away.