叫化童鸡 Beggar’s Chicken (Hangzhou Baked Chicken)

[Ho Kwok Leung]

叫化童鸡
“叫化童鸡”也称“杭州煨鸡”，是杭州的一道传统名菜。相传，古时有一乞丐（俗称“叫化子”），饥寒交迫之中偷了一只母鸡，却无锅灶烹煮，他急中生智，就用烂泥将鸡连毛包起来，放入篝火中用草煨烤成熟，食时却异香四溢，滋味别致。后人仿效此法，并传入菜馆酒楼，经厨师们反复的研制改进而成现今的制法。它选用优良的“越鸡”，剖洗净后填放配料，用鲜荷叶包裹，再涂以用“酒脚”（绍酒的沉淀渣汁）拌过的泥巴，经数小时的煨烤而成，荷叶的清香和母鸡的鲜香溶为一体，香气袭人，诱人食欲，成菜原汁不走，鸡肉酥嫩，香醇味美，别有风味，流传至今。

食材
嫩母鸡1只，重约1500克。

配料：
猪腿肉75克，
京葱100克，
猪网油250克。

调料：
绍酒75克，
生抽35克，
白糖10克，
精盐2克，
味精2.5克，
山萘（中药）1克，
花椒盐10克，
葱段5克，
姜丝5克，
八角1瓣，
熟猪油25克。

包扎和拌泥用的原料：
绍酒脚100克，
酒坛泥3500克，
鲜荷叶2.5大张，
透明纸1大张，
细麻绳4米，
湿布1块，
白报纸1张，
粗盐75克。

烹飪方法
1.洗杀。将母鸡宰杀煺毛洗净，在左翅膀下开长约4厘米的刀口，取出内脏，洗净沥干。剁去鸡爪，取出鸡翅主骨和腿骨，用刀背将翅尖轻剁几下，再在鸡腿内侧竖割一刀（使调料渗入），鸡颈根部用刀背轻敲几下，将颈骨折断（皮面不能破），便于烤煨
2.腌制。将山萘、八角碾成粉末，放在瓦钵内，加入绍酒50克，酱油25克，白糖、精盐1.5克，葱段、姜丝拌匀，将鸡放入拌腌15分钟，其间翻动2~3次，使调料均匀渗入鸡体内。
时包扎。
3.炒料。将猪腿肉，京葱切成丝，炒锅置旺火上烧热，滑锅后下熟猪油，放入葱丝、肉丝煸透，加绍酒25克，酱油10克，精盐2.5克，味精2.5克，炒熟装盘待用。
4.包扎。将炒熟的配料用竹筷从鸡翅腋下刀口处填入鸡腹，卤汁也一起灌入，把鸡头紧贴胸部扳到鸡腿中间，再把鸡腿扳到胸部，两翅翻下使之抱住颈和腿，然后用猪网油包裹鸡身，先用1.5张荷叶包裹，第二层包1张透明纸（不使卤汁渗出），再包1张荷叶，接着用麻绳在外面先捆两道十字形，然后像缠线团那样平整地捆扎成鸭蛋形。
5.涂泥。将酒坛泥砸碎，加入绍酒沉渣，粗盐和水捣韧，平摊在湿布上，把包扎好的鸡（腹朝上），放在泥中间，提起湿布四角，将泥裹紧鸡身，用手沾水拍打湿布四周、使涂泥均匀。然后除掉湿布，包以白报纸，以防煨烤时泥土脱落。
6.煨烤。将泥团鸡放入烘箱，先用 220°高温逼热，40分钟后，调至160℃左右，持续烘烤3~4小时即可。
7.上席敲开泥团，去掉荷叶等包裹物，将鸡和卤汁装入腰盘，并随带花椒盐供蘸食。
【掌握关键】
1.要选用杭州地区特产的“越鸡”（也叫萧山大种鸡）或其他优质品种，当年未下蛋的嫩母鸡为佳，剖洗时必须在翅下开口，使填料不易倒出。
2.猪肉丝要肥瘦相间，以保持油润可口。包鸡的网油要厚薄均匀（没有网油时，也可用批薄的膘油代替）。
3.层层包扎要严紧。涂泥要均匀，使煨烤使时受热均匀，以防出现煨烤焦或不熟的现象。
4.火候要掌握准确，高温逼熟，中温煨酥烂。煨时注意保持泥团中鸡腹朝上，以防漏油。

**Beggar’s Chicken (Hangzhou Baked Chicken)**

Beggar’s Chicken, also known as "Hangzhou Baked Chicken," is a legendary dish from Hangzhou. Folklore tells of a starving beggar who stole a hen but lacked cooking tools. In desperation, he wrapped the chicken in mud and feathers, roasted it in a fire, and discovered an unexpectedly fragrant and tender delicacy. Later, chefs refined this rustic method: using tender "Yue chicken" (a Hangzhou specialty), stuffed with aromatics, wrapped in lotus leaves, and encased in a clay shell mixed with Shaoxing wine sediment. Slow-roasted for hours, the dish melds earthy lotus fragrance with succulent chicken, creating a uniquely savory experience that remains iconic today.

---

### **Ingredients**
- **Main**:
1 tender hen (~1500g).

- **Filling**:
75g pork leg meat (fatty-lean),
100g scallion (julienned),
250g pork caul fat.

- **Seasonings**:
75g Shaoxing wine,
35g light soy sauce,
10g sugar,
2g salt,
2.5g MSG,
1g *Kaempferia galanga* (aromatic ginger, powdered),
10g Sichuan pepper salt,
5g scallion sections,
5g ginger shreds,
1 star anise pod,
25g lard.

- **Wrapping Materials**:
100g Shaoxing wine sediment,
3500g clay (from wine jars),
2.5 large fresh lotus leaves,
1 large sheet parchment paper,
4m hemp twine,
1 damp cloth,
1 sheet white paper,
75g coarse salt.

---

### **Cooking Method**

1. **Prepare the Chicken**:
Clean the hen, remove innards through a 4cm incision under the left wing. Chop off claws, debone wings/legs, lightly smash wingtips. Score inner thighs for seasoning penetration. Crack neck bone (skin intact) for easier folding.

2. **Marinate**:
Grind *Kaempferia galanga* and star anise to powder. Mix with 50g Shaoxing wine, 25g soy sauce, sugar, 1.5g salt, scallion, and ginger. Coat chicken thoroughly, marinate 15 minutes, turning 2–3 times.

3. **Cook the Filling**:
Stir-fry pork and scallion in lard until fragrant. Add 25g Shaoxing wine, 10g soy sauce, 2.5g salt, and MSG. Set aside.

4. **Wrap the Chicken**:
Stuff filling into cavity via wing incision. Fold head to chest, tuck legs inward, wrap wings around body. Encase in pork caul fat. Layer with 1.5 lotus leaves, parchment paper, then another lotus leaf. Tie tightly with twine into an oval shape.

5. **Seal with Clay**:
Mix crushed clay with wine sediment, coarse salt, and water. Spread on damp cloth, place chicken (breast-up) in center. Wrap cloth to mold clay evenly. Remove cloth, wrap in white paper to secure.

6. **Roast**:
Bake clay-wrapped chicken at 220°C for 40 minutes, then reduce to 160°C for 3–4 hours.

7. **Serve**:
Crack open clay, discard wrappings. Transfer chicken and juices to a platter. Serve with Sichuan pepper salt for dipping.

---

### **Key Tips**
- Use **young, egg-laying hens** (preferably Hangzhou "Yue chicken") for tenderness.
- Ensure **caul fat evenly covers** the chicken to lock in moisture (substitute with thin pork fat if needed).
- **Wrap tightly** and **apply clay uniformly** to prevent cracking and ensure even cooking.
- **Control heat precisely**: High initial heat sets the clay, low heat slow-cooks the meat. Keep chicken breast-up to retain juices.