Ingredients
- 500g plums
- ½ cup Shaoxing Chinese cooking wine
- 1 cup white sugar
- ½ cup cider vinegar
- 6 cloves
- 12 peppercorns
- 4 whole allspice berries
- 1 whole chicken (1.5kg)
- salt flakes and freshly-milled black pepper
- 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- 6cm piece ginger, finely grated
- Chinese cabbage salad, to serve
Instructions
1 Halve the plums and set half the seeds aside. Combine the plum flesh with the wine, sugar and vinegar in a saucepan and set over a moderate heat. Use a hammer to crack the reserved plum seeds without shattering them wrap these in a small piece of muslin with the cloves, peppercorns and allspice berries then add this to the saucepan. Simmer for 30 minutes, until thickened, then purée and set aside.
2 Use a sharp pair of scissors to remove the chicken’s backbone, then season generously with salt and pepper and rib with olive oil. Arrange over a moderate barbecue grill and cook for 30 minutes, turning regularly, until juices run clear if pierced at the hip.
3 Meanwhile combine the soy, brown sugar and ginger in a small saucepan and boil for 4 minutes, until slightly thickened. Once the chicken is cooked, begin basting onto the skin. Brush on some soy mixture, then cook for 4 minutes. Repeat until all the baste is used. Chop the chicken into pieces and serve with Chinese cabbage salad and plum sauce.