Fried Master Stock Chicken With Chilli Caramel And Orange Salt - cooking recipe

Ingredients

1 5/8 kg chicken (whole free range preferred)
vegetable oil (for deep frying)
Master Stock
600 ml soy sauce (light)
375 ml sake (1/2 bottle)
1 teaspoon star anise (ground)
1 1/2 cinnamon sticks
1 piece ginger (about the size of a thumb peeled and chopped)
4 garlic cloves (peeled and chopped)
2 cups caster sugar
1/2 orange (zest pared or peeled)
Chilli Caramel
1 cup caster sugar
1 cup water
2 teaspoons chili flakes
1 cup master stock
Orange Salt
1/2 orange (zest finely grated)
1 tablespoon salt (rock or sea salt flakes)

Preparation

Preheat oven to 65A\u00b0C.
For the master stock, add all the ingredients to a large saucepan with and bring to boil and simmer for 20 minutes.
For the chilli caramel, heat sugar and the water in a small saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves, gburshing down sides with a pastry brush dipped in water, increase the heat to medium-high and bring the mix to a boil, cooking until it is a light carmel and then remove from the heat IMMEDIATELY and then add chilli flakes and dilute with a little of the master stock (approximately 2 tablespoons) and BE CAREFUL as mixture will spit a little.
For the orange salt. dry the orange zest in the oven for 1 hour, and then pound with rock salt in a mortar and pestle until fine.
Quickly blanch the chicken in boiling water and transfer to the master stock saucepan.
Cook the chicken in master stock, turning after 20 minutes and then turn again after 5 minutes, then sit in stock for a further 15 minutes with the heat off and lid on.
Remove the chicken from the master stock and cut in half .
Pour enough oil into a wok until it is 1/3 full and heat over medium-high heat.
Once hot, deep fry the chicken, basting consistently until the skin has turned a carmel brown, drain well and cut chicken into serving sizes.
Drizzle with chillie caramel and orange salt - note chillie caramel will harden on standing (keep warm) and serve dish immediately.