Crispy chicken with Sichuan noodles

Now in this ordinal recipe the chicken was cut in to joints and deep-fried but I have adapted this in to a whole roast chicken that I thing gives a really good result.  The key to getting a really crispy skin is to roasting in a hot oven and on a rack so that it does not sit in the fat.  Also to keep basting the fat over the skin to help make it nice and crisp.

For ingredients you will need.

Ingredients

2 tbsp shrimp paste

1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

2 tsp caster sugar

2 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp light soy sauce

1x 1kg/2lb 4oz whole chicken

For the Sichuan noodles

1 tbsp vegetable oil

110g/4oz Sichuan preserved cabbage, rinsed, finely chopped

1 tbsp finely chopped garlic

2 tsp finely chopped root ginger

2 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry

2 tbsp chilli bean sauce

1 tbsp peanut butter

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp caster sugar

450ml/16fl oz chicken stock

225g/8oz cooked Chinese noodles

3 spring onions

Place the shrimp paste, rice wine, sugar, sesame oil and soy sauce into a bowl and mix until well combined.  Then get your chicken in and cover completely with the marinade. Now cover the chicken and repeat until you have let it stand for about 30 minutes.  They place it on rack in a roasting try them put in a preheated oven and roast for about 200c/400f for about 80 minutes.  Use the left over marinade to baste the chicken then use the juices that collect in the roasting try .

Get your noodles and cook them and strain so you have them fully cooked and ready to make the Sichuan noodles.

Start by heating  a wok or large frying pan over a high heat and add the oil. Then add the preserved cabbage, garlic and ginger and stir-fry for one minute. Then add the rice wine, chilli bean sauce, peanut butter, soy sauce, sugar, and chicken stock. Let this cook for a bit and reduce.

At the last minute add the cooked noodles and toss them in the sauce .  Put the noodles on a large dish and sever the chicken whole on the top . Then garnish with some chopped spring onions.