roasted chicken plum sauce

Preparation time 10 minutes, plus resting Cooking time 14/2 hours 1 chicken, about 1.5 kg 2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder 1 tablespoon Szechuan peppercorns, crushed 1 tablespoon groundnut oil 500g plums, halved and stones removed 200 ml Shaoxing rice wine 150 ml(1/4 pint) vegetable stoc 2 tablespoons clear honey, or to taste salt and pepper Place the chicken in a roasting tin and pat the skin dry with kitchen paper. Mix together the five-spice powder, crushed Szechuan peppercorns and oil in a small bowl. Rub over the chicken as evenly as possible and season with salt and pepper. Roast in a preheated oven, 200C(400F), for 30 minutes.

Place half the plums around the chicken and pour the rice wine and stock over them. Return to the oven and roast for a further 30 minutes.

Add the remaining plums to the roasting tin and continue to roast for 20-25 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through (cover the chicken with foil if it is browning too fast)-the juices should run clear when the thickest part of the thigh is pierced with a knife.

Transfer the chicken to a warmed srving plate and leave to rest in a warm place. Heat the plum mix-ture in the roasting tin on the hob over a high heat. Stir in the honey to taste and season well with salt and pepper. Serve the chicken with the plum sauce, steamed Asian greens and rice or egg noodles.

For grilled duck with plum sauce, skin 4 duck breast fillets, about 200(7 oz)each, score in a criss-cross pattern all over with a sharp knife and place in a single layer on a nonstick baking sheet. Mix together 6 tablespoons plum sauce, 2 tablespoons light soy sauce and 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder in a bowl. Spoon over the duck to coat evenly, cover and leave to marinate in the refrigerator for 1-2 hours, or overnight. Cook under a preheated medium-high grill for 4-5 minutes on each side, or until cooked to your liking.

qingquang

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