Crispy Skin Chicken with Chilli Vinegar Dipping Sauce

Ingredients

1.6kg whole corn-fed chicken
1 lemon
Pinch sea salt flakes
5L chicken stock
1 handful roughly chopped ginger
1 bunch spring onions, roughly chopped
1 cup light soy sauce
1 tbs white peppercorns, bruised

Chilli Vinegar Dipping Sauce
375ml canola oil
75g dried whole chilli, deseeded
25g ginger, julienned
65g fried shallots
65g fried garlic
1 tbs white sugar
160ml light soy sauce
175ml black vinegar

Method

To poach the chicken, bring the stock to boil in a tall sauce pot with the ginger, shallot, light soy & white pepper, once it has reached the boil gently place the whole chicken into the seasoned stock breast side up and ensure it is completely submerged and allow to return to the boil.

Once the stock has returned to the boil turn the heat to a low simmer and cook for a further 20min.

Remove the chicken with a pair of long tongs and allow to rest for 30min still breast side up, re-boil and strain the stock this can now be reused as a stock or made into a delicious soup.

To make the dipping sauce, heat the oil in a wok or fry pan to 160 degrees; flash fry the dried chillies in the oil for 20 seconds stirring with a slotted spoon until bright red and crispy. Transfer chillies to a paper towel-lined plate to cool.

Do the same with the julienned ginger though the ginger will take around 40 seconds constantly stirring to make sure it doesn’t all stick together. When golden and crispy, transfer ginger to a paper towel-lined plate with chillies to cool.

Strain the extra virgin olive oil into a saucepan or metal container and allow to cool.

Once all the ingredients are cool, add all the dry ingredients into your motor and pestle and pound for a good 3 minutes to a uniformed consistency. Add the light soy, black vinegar and 150mls of the chilli and ginger cooking oil and gently pound and stir to a thick paste.

Heat the oil to 220°C in a wok, large saucepan or if you have a benchtop deep fryer. Cut the chicken in half down the backbone with a large knife or cleaver. When the oil is hot slowly lower one half of the chicken into the oil with a pair of tongs and be careful as the oil might spit.

Fry the chicken for 5 minutes if still warm or 8 minutes if prepared the day before and have been in the refrigerator, once the skin has turned golden brown remove from the oil and season with the sea salt and rest, repeat with the other half.

With the large knife or cleaver cut the wing and leg off the chicken first, cut the leg in two and the breast into 3 pieces.

Arrange on a serving platter alongside Chilli and Vinegar Dipping Sauce and lemon wedges.