Today is January 1st, 2011 and I remembered that this years Lunar New Year is only about a month away, so I'll wish everyone Xin Nian Kuai Le for the western new year, and the upcoming Lunar New Year on February 3rd.  My only New Year's resolution is to write on my blogs more frequently!

Okay, this isn't really about food. It is an instrumental about my favorite place on Earth, Hong Kong. More than that, it's about my favorite place in Hong Kong...the Star Ferry. I've taken the subway from Mong Kok to Central and I always get off just before the bay crossing and take the Star Ferry the rest of the way. The best ride in the world! I wrote this as a way to express my feeling about the Star Ferry.

Tonight we had Spiced Baked Chicken with Sizzling Oil. We had a Red Cooked Pork left over from the night before, so we also had that, and Gailan (Chinese Broccoli), with rice. I steamed the Gailan and added a little Soy and Sesame Oil when it was done. The whole family likes veggies, so I made enough for seconds.

The Spiced Baked Chicken was very moist and really easy to make. Here are the ingrediants:

Dry Rub: 2 teaspoons each of Sichuan Pepper, finely minced ginger, and finely minced garlic. Mix together well.

Sizzling Oil: 3 slices of ginger and one green onion (both julienned), 3 tablespoon oil (preferably peanut oil) and 3
tablespoons of soy.

One green onion (cut in 2" lengths and 4 slices of ginger, smashed with the flat blade of a cleaver.

Extra Oil: Keep a few tablespoons of oil ready for basting about half the way through. I use peanut oil.

One whole chicken

First, rinse the chicken and get out any parts that are put in the innards of the bird. Pat the bird dry and rub it inside and out with the dry rub mixture. Cover the chicken and place it back in the refrigerator for at least two hours to allow the rub to set in.

When you are ready to cook, preheat the oven to 425. Put the bird on a rack in a roasting pan and placed the extra green onion (in 2" lengths) and the smashed ginger inside the chickens cavity. When the oven is ready put it in for at least an hour. After 30 minutes take the bird out, turn it over, and baste using some of the extra oil. Put it back into the oven for the rest of the time. I always use a meat thermometer to check when the chicken is cooked. Seldom is it done at one hour because I usually select large birds, or cook two at a time. When the correct temperature is reached take the bird out and cover with foil while you prepare the sizzling oil

Take a small saucepan and put three tablespoons of oil in and heat to smoking. While waiting julienne the three slices of ginger and the green onion and place in a heat proof bowl. Once the oil is hot (it should be smoking) pour it over the julienned ginger and green onion. Add the three tablespoons of soy and pour over the cooked chicken. Slice and serve immediately.

The chicken should be very moist and tastey.