Beijing-style roast chicken

***Picture to come next time we'll make this recipe, we got the request for a written version after the meal itself***

I just love cookbooks (hence the entire living room wall dedicated to them - I may have a, hum, slight addiction). Celebrity cookbooks are usually a category I avoid as I feel they tend to focus more on the person than on the recipes themselves. But when one of your best friends, who likes to review the hell out of cookbooks before buying them and thoroughly tests them before keeping them, recommends you one, you blindly believe her and you buy it.

That is how I ended up buying Gwyneth Paltrow's My Father's Daughter cookbook. I have to admit that I'm a little torn to encourage her as Goop has probably been the source of my biggest eyerolls related to health ever, but it remains that indeed, I'm pleasantly surprised by the recipes attempted so far.

My friend had recommended the book especially for its roasted Chinese duck recipe, and geez was she right. Duck is not the most welcome of poultry in my house due to my boyfriend's diet though (too high in fat), so I made it with a whole chicken instead (spoiler alert: it's as good and way cheaper). I also tweaked a little the recipe because, well, of course I can't follow a recipe to a T and have to change some stuff. 

So, for 3-4 people, you will need:

- 1 whole chicken (adjust weight according to your hunger level)

- 2 large shallots

- 2 star anises

- 1/8 ts ground cloves

- 1/4 cup Sukrin gold (the best brown sugar alternative I've found so far, but if you don't wanna cut sugar from your diet as we do, feel free to use regular brown sugar instead)

- Salt for brine

- Pepper to taste

- Boiling water

- Sesame pancakes (see below)

- Hoisin sauce (see below)

1. In the fridge, brine your chicken for at least 1h in a mixture of salt and water (put enough salt in the water for it to just stop being able to dissolve anymore).

2. Preheat the oven at 350F.

3. Discard the brine. Put your fingers between the chicken's skin and breast meat; lift the skin from the meat, being careful not to tear the skin, then do the same for the rest of the skin. This step helps to ensure crispy skin in the end by allowing better air flow.

4. Pierce the skin (be careful not to pierce the meat) all over (about 50 times in total). Again, this helps with the skin crisping so don't skip it!

5. Stuff the chicken cavity with the shallots and star anises.

6. Season the chicken all over with pepper to taste.

7. Put the chicken in a roasting pan or dutch oven (we used the latter), breast side up.

8. Sprinkle the breast with the ground cloves.

9. Sprinkle the Sukrin gold or brown sugar around the chicken (not on it)

10. Add boiling water until it reaches about 1 inch in height.

11. Cover the roasting pan with aluminum or use the cover of your dutch oven. Bake for 1-1.5h depending on the size of your chicken. It should be close to, but not fully cooked at this point as it still needs to crisp in the air fryer a little.

12. Let cool and rest overnight in the fridge.

13. The next day, gently transfer the chicken to an air fryer and cook it for 12 minutes at 400F (I guess you could also uncover your chicken and broil it if you don't have one, but these things are seriously wonderful, I highly recommend you to have one. After reading many reviews, I settled on the Cosori and I'm quite satisfied with it. My mom was so impressed she bought one too!).

14. Keep the broth to make a delicious soup with the leftover chicken.

15. Carve the duck into thin slices.

***

Toppings

- Carrots, julienned

- Green onions, julienned

- Cucumbers (seeds removed), julienned

- Daikon, julienned

***

Sesame crepes

My recommendation would be to buy them premade unless you have the means to make them really thin at home. Just look for a package with a limited amount of ingredients in this case and they'll probably be as good, if not better as homemade. If you really want to make them, here are the ingredients:

1 cup all-purpose flour (fluff it with a spoon prior to putting it in your cup - it avoids putting too much)

1.5 cup milk (I used skimmed cow's milk)

1 pinch of salt

2 ts sesame oil

Vegetable oil (sprays are the easiest, otherwise use a little on a paper towel)

1. Preheat a nonstick pan on medium-high heat and add a thin layer of vegetable oil.

2. Whisk the rest of the ingredients together.

3. Put about 1/4 cup of batter in the pan then try to have them as thin as possible (the best would be to use a crepe spreader or a crepe machine if you have any). These should not be too big, about 15 cm / 6 inches in diameter max.

4. When the batter seems set and the sides start to slightly curl, flip your crepe and cook for another 30-ish seconds. Adjust the times to your stovetop power if needed.

5. Remember, the first crepe is usually always a mess. That's a part of life you need to accept.

***

Red miso hoisin 

This is what really makes this dish come together, and keeps you going back for more. It's so easy to make and good that I doubt I'll ever buy the commercial premade stuff ever again.

1 tbs canola oil

2 large cloves garlic, minced

1/2 ts powdered Chinese five-spice

1/2 cup red miso

1/2 cup maple syrup (yup, I'm making an exception to our sugar-free diet here, I know)

2 tbs rice vinegar

Combine everything in a small sauce pan on low heat and cook until slightly thickened. Make sure to stir often in order for it not to burn at the bottom. That's it (I told you it was simple!).

***

To eat, put some hoisin sauce on a crepe with chicken slices and toppings as desired. Wrap the crepe and enjoy!