FIVE-SPICE CHICKEN WITH SICHUAN AROMATICS

Recipe and food styling Fiona Smith / Photography Aaron McLean / Concept and art direction Fiona Lascelles / Image retouching Jason Creaghan

	1.5kg free-range chicken (we used Bostock)
	¼ cup dark soy sauce
	¼ cup Shaoxing wine
	1 teaspoon five spice powder
	1 tablespoon raw sugar
	SICHUAN AROMATICS
	2 tablespoons peanut oil
	4 cloves garlic, sliced
	3cm piece ginger, cut in fine matchsticks
	1 red chilli, sliced
	1 tablespoon Sichuan peppercorns
	2 spring onions, sliced
	12 small dried chillies, optional
	1 teaspoon sugar
	2 tablespoons rice wine
	1 tablespoon sesame oil

1.	In a bowl that fits the chicken snugly, mix together the soy sauce, Shaoxing, five spice and sugar.
2.	Roll the chicken in the marinade to coat well, getting some in the cavity. Marinade for at least 1 hour, but preferably overnight, turning occasionally.
3.	Heat the oven to 180°C.
4.	Put the chicken on a tray or roasting rack and tie its legs together (reserve the marinade).
5.	Roast for 20 minutes then cover with foil to prevent further browning.
6.	Roast for 40 minutes then uncover and roast for a final 20 minutes, basting with the marinade every 5 minutes in this last 20 minutes.
7.	Let the chicken rest before carving and sprinkling with the Sichuan aromatics.
8.	Serve with cucumber and asparagus salad and grilled or steamed bok choy.
9.	SICHUAN AROMATICS
10.	Heat the oil in a wok or frying pan over a medium heat.
11.	Add the garlic and stir-fry for about a minute until just starting to colour.
12.	Add the ginger, chilli, peppercorns, spring onion and dried chillies and stir- fry for a further minute until smelling aromatic.
13.	Stir in the sugar, rice wine and sesame oil and remove from the heat.
14.	Sprinkle over the carved chicken.