Baked Chicken in Salt 鹽焗雞

Don't be misled by the name of this dish. This is not a salty chicken. The coarse salt used in this dish is used to provide flavor but not to add the amount of salt to marinate the chicken. Only 1 teaspoon of salt is used for the marinate. The rest of the salt is put in between the parchment paper and the aluminum foil.



It provides great heat retention which produces a moist and flavorful chicken. It was still steaming when I unwrapped it 45 minutes after taking out from the oven.

Ingredients:

1 mid-sized chicken
Coarse salt

Marinate:

1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Zedoary powder
1 tsp ginger juice, freshly grated
1 tbsp vegetable oil

Materials:

1 big piece of parchment paper

1 big piece of aluminum foil

1 long piece of string

1)  Wash and dry the chicken, inside and out.
2)  Rub the salt and zedoary powder all over the body, inside and out, followed by the ginger juice and oil. Let it marinate for 2 hours at room temperature.

3)  Preheat oven to 425 F.
4)  Wrap the chicken with the parchment paper and tie with a piece of string.



I should have done a better job in wrapping and tyeing : (

5)  Wrap it again with a piece of aluminum foil. Seal tight at one end. Pour enough coarse salt at the other end so that it covers the whole chicken. Seal the opening and put on a tray.

6)  Bake for about an hour. Let it rest for at least 15 minutes before unwrapping and cutting.

Notes:
1)  The original recipe calls for fresh zeodoary (a type of ginger), which is hard to find in America, so I substitute it with dry powder. It is available in Chinese grocery stores.
2)  It is important to wrap and tie the chicken well with the parchment so that the coarse salt would not get in.
3)  Depending on the size of the chicken, adjust the baking time accordingly.

鹽焗雞

這味菜雖然是用鹽來焗,但不是焗咸雞,那些粗鹽只是用來增加風味,不會增加雞的鹽份,所以不要担心,醃雞用的鹽只是一小茶匙。那些粗鹽是放於焗爐紙與錫紙之間,焗出來的雞一點也不乾,比用水來蒸的雞更加好味,值得一試!

材料:
雞一隻, 大約三磅左右(建議用走地雞、龍岡雞或維康雞,比起冰鮮雞少脂肪)
粗鹽 適量

醃料:
一茶匙幼鹽
半茶匙沙薑粉
一茶匙薑汁
一湯匙油

用具:
焗爐紙一大張
錫紙一大張
繩一條

1)  雞洗淨,內外抹乾水,斬去頭、腳及尾 (如喜歡可保留不切走)。
2)  用鹽及沙薑粉抹勻內外,再用薑汁抹勻,最後抹油,醃二小時。
3)  預熱焗爐至425F。
4)  用焗爐紙將雞包起,用繩扎實,再用錫紙包着,加入粗鹽,然後封口。
5)  將雞放在焗盤上,入爐焗約一小時,出爐後待凉至少十五分鐘,斬件便可。

注意事項:
1)  原食譜用新鮮沙薑,但很難買到,所以改用沙薑粉,我又再加新鮮薑汁。
2)  焗爐紙要包好及扎好,以防粗鹽入到紙內,否則雞會過咸。
3)  入爐時間要視乎雞的大小,大的要焗耐些,小的要減些時間。

食譜參考: 私家厨房