Beggar's Chicken

Directions

1. Prepare Chicken: Trim excess fat from chicken; remove wing tips. Mix mix for skin; rub chicken inside & out with it. Leave uncovered at room temperature, while coating is absorbed and dry. Repeat if necessary. Stuffing: In warm wok, heat peanut oil to smoking. Stir- fry grnd pork 2 min; add in mustard green, ginger & sugar; stir-fry 1 more minute. Remove & cold. Lotus Leaves: Number of leaves depends on their size & which of chicken. Reduce heat under boiling water to simmer, & steep leaves for 3-5 min, till wet through & pliable (no longer or possibly leaves may shred). Now soak in cool water for 10 min, or possibly longer, till time to use them; open folded leaves in cool water to wash them. Wrap Chicken: Preheat oven to 550 degrees. Stuff chicken with pork mix. Cut hard center out of lotus leaves, then slit along fold about 3" on each side of center, so cut away center can be overlapped. Wrap chicken in 3 layers of lotus leaves. Tie securely with piece of cotton or possibly fiber string (do not use nylon; it might heat). Spread soft, wet modeling clay about 1/2" thick on sheet of newspaper. Bring clay pack around chicken & seal. Remove newspaper. (Use foil if clay unavailable.) Roasting: Place clay-covered chicken on rack in shallow roasting pan in preheated oven. Bake for 1 hour; reduce heat to 350 degrees & bake for another 1 1/2 hrs. Serve: Present fired clay chicken to table. Crack clay with suitable object, allowing some of steam to escape before you proceed. Remove clay; carefully cut open lotus leaves with scissors. Chicken will be very soft & tender; break apart to get at stuffing. Serve guests, or possibly invite them to pick with chopsticks.
2. Serves 4