Hakka-Style Salt-Encrusted Baked Chicken with Lotus Leaf

1. Preheat the Oven

Preheat your oven to 375ºF and let it warm up for about 20 minutes.

2. Prepare the Chicken

Clean and pat dry the chicken. Rub it thoroughly with the sand ginger and Mei Kuei Lu Chiew mixture. Fill the cavity with the scallions, ginger, and softened tangerine peel.

3. Heat the Salt

Spread the kosher salt evenly in a roasting pan and place it in the oven to heat for 30 minutes.

4. Wrap the Chicken

Lay out the soaked and pliable lotus leaves on a work surface. Pleat and stack the leaves, then place the seasoned chicken in the center and fold the leaves over to wrap it completely.

5. Bake the Chicken

Transfer half of the heated salt into a large wok and spread it out evenly. Place the wrapped chicken on top of this salt bed, then cover the chicken with the remaining hot salt, ensuring it is completely buried. Cover the wok and bake the chicken over high heat for the first 10 minutes, then reduce to medium heat and continue baking for another 50 minutes to an hour.

6. Prepare the Dipping Sauce

While the chicken is baking, prepare the dipping sauce by mixing the grated ginger, Scallion Oil, and salt in a bowl. Divide the sauce into small dipping dishes for serving.

7. Serve the Chicken

After the chicken has baked, turn off the heat and carefully brush off the salt. Unwrap the lotus leaves and transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Cut the chicken into serving pieces, place them on a platter, and serve with the dipping sauce on the side.