Eight-treasure chicken

A modern, flavour-packed twist to the Chinese dish eight-treasure duck.

INGREDIENTS

200 g brown rice
60 ml (1/4 cup) vegetable oil
1 onion, finely chopped
30 g ginger, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
4 spring onions, thinly sliced
4 shiitake mushrooms, diced
8 water chestnuts, diced
1 1/2 tbsp goji berries
1 Slow Hills chicken (about 1.6kg)
2 tbsp light soy
80 ml Shaoxing wine
100 ml chicken stock

Asian-style salad, such as smashed cucumber salad, or dressed tatsoi leaves and wombok, to serve

METHOD

1. Cook rice in a saucepan of boiling water until tender (20-25 minutes). Drain well.
2. Heat half the oil in a wide casserole over medium heat. Add onion and stir occasionally until tender and starting to caramelise at the edges (8-10 minutes). Add ginger and garlic and sauté until tender and fragrant (5 minutes). Stir in rice to combine, then spring onion, shiitake, water chestnut and goji berries. Season with ½ tsp white pepper.
3. Open chicken cavity and spoon rice mixture inside, pressing to fill compactly. Secure opening with toothpicks.
4. Clean casserole and heat remaining oil over high heat. Add chicken skin-side down and sear until golden brown (4-5 minutes). Turn, then add soy, Shaoxing and stock to casserole and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover with a lid and steam until chicken is cooked through and juices run clear when thigh is pierced with a skewer (1 hour).
5. Remove rice from cavity and stir with pan juices to combine. Transfer rice to a serving platter, then carve chicken and arrange over rice, spooning over pan juices. Serve with an Asian-style cucumber salad.