Beggar's Chicken — Jiaohuaji

The Jiangsu version of jiàohuā jī (beggar's chicken) emphasises the stuffing more than the Hangzhou version, using a filling of shiitake mushroom, minced pork, Jinhua ham, spring onion and Shaoxing wine along with the chicken's own giblets. The whole chicken — stuffed, legs tied and wings folded — is wrapped tightly in fresh lotus leaves (three to four layers to ensure no steam escapes), then encased in a salt-and-flour paste or a clay-like dough shell. It bakes at moderate heat for two to four hours. The lotus leaves create a sealed steam oven, locking in every drop of moisture. When the outer crust is cracked at the table the perfume of the lotus leaves and the aromatic stuffing is released. The skin is pale, not browned, but the flesh is extraordinarily moist. It requires advance ordering at most restaurants as preparation begins the morning of service.