Eight Treasure Chicken

1 large frying chicken, 3.5-4lbs
8 large dried bamboo leaves, soaked in warm water until soft**
1 tbsp each soy sauce and Shaoxing wine** or dry sherry
3/4 cup glutinous rice, soaked in cold water for one hour (I used calrose)
2oz Chinese sausage, cut into 1/4-inch diagonal slices**
1/4 cup dried lotus seed, blanched** or whole blanched almonds
2 tbsp dried shrimp, soaked and drained**
4 dried black mushroom caps, soaked, drained and diced**
2 tbsp clouds ears, soaked and drained**
1/4 cup water chestnuts, diced
1/2 cup sliced green onions
2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1) Rinse and dry chicken and set it on a large cutting board. With a cleaver,
cut off wings. Cut off neck, if present. Remove fat from cavity and neck
areas.

2) Place chicken breast side down on board. With a sharp boning or paring
knife, cut through skin along backbone. Peel skin back a little on one side,
cutting away meat from bones. When hip and shoulder joints are exposed, twist
or cut them away from carcass, being careful not to tear skin. Leave the leg
alone for now and concentrate on cutting the breast free from breastbone. Be
especially careful not to puncture skin lying across breastbone. Repeat on
other side, then lift carcass away from skin, carefully cutting skin free from
ridge of breastbone.

3) Remove leg bones by first, cutting skin length of thigh and then cutting
and scraping meat away from bone. Repeat process for drumstick. Follow along
for other side thigh and drumstick. You should now have left a whole skin and
most of the meat. Trim any large pieces of meat remaining on carcass and add
to skin.

4) Drain bamboo leaves and cut off thick stems. Cut two 4-foot lengths of
kitchen twine, and lay them crosswise across bottom of a shallow steaming
bowl. Lay two leaves crosswise over string in bowl. Arrange remaining leaves
at intermediate angles to cover bottom of bowl completely. Combine soy sauce
and wine; rub mixture over both sides of chicken. Place chicken skin side down
in bowl on top of leaves. Rearrange any loose pieces of meat on skin to form a
roughly equal layer. Drain rice and combine with sausage, lotus seed, shrimp,
mushrooms, cloud ears, water chestnuts, green onions and hoisin sauce. Spread
mixture over middle of chicken, then wrap skin around stuffing, overlapping
slightly. Fold leaves tightly around chicken and secure with strings. Tie
bundle in several directions to maintain shape. (This is where it helps to
have an extra set of hands.)

5) Steam in bowl, skin side up (the side with the wider parts of leaves
showing) for 2 hours. To serve: Remove strings and set package in serving
dish, skin side up. Cut skin open with four crossing cuts, cutting down
through skin into stuffing, and fold back leaves like an 8-pedaled flower.
Discard loose pieces of leaves. Spoon a little of stock from steaming bowl
onto stuffing before serving.

Source: Chinese Cooking at the Academy pg. 82

Notes:
This recipe is made with a whole chicken, deboned. Boning the chicken is not
difficult, but it takes time, especially the first time. Don't worry if you
cut or tear the skin in a few places; the leaf wrapping will hold it together.
The other tricky step is tying up the bundle of chicken, stuffing, and leaves;
another pair of hands is helpful. Use a plate to turn the package while tying
the strings. Bamboo leaves are available in Asian markets.