A modern, flavour-packed twist to the Chinese dish eight-treasure duck.
INGREDIENTS
200 g brown rice
60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
30 g ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 shiitake mushrooms, diced
8 water chestnuts, diced
1 1/2 tbsp goji berries
1 Slow Hills chicken (about 1.6kg)
2 tbsp light soy
80 ml Shaoxing wine
100 ml chicken stock
Asian-style salad, such as smashed cucumber salad, or dressed tatsoi leaves and wombok, to serve
METHOD
- Cook rice in a saucepan of boiling water until tender (20-25 minutes). Drain well.
- Heat half the oil in a wide casserole over medium heat. Add onion and stir occasionally until tender and starting to caramelise at the edges (8-10 minutes). Add ginger and garlic and sauté until tender and fragrant (5 minutes). Stir in rice to combine, then spring onion, shiitake, water chestnut and goji berries. Season with ½ tsp white pepper.
- Open chicken cavity and spoon rice mixture inside, pressing to fill compactly. Secure opening with toothpicks.
- Clean casserole and heat remaining oil over high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and sear until golden brown (4-5 minutes). Turn, then add soy, Shaoxing and stock to casserole and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and steam until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer (1 hour).
- Remove rice from cavity and stir with pan juices to combine. Transfer rice to a serving platter, then carve chicken and arrange over rice, spooning over pan juices. Serve with an Asian-style cucumber salad.
