Five-spice powder
An ancient spice mix used in Chinese cooking that combines sweet cinnamon and cloves, fennel seeds and star anise, and tongue-tingling Sichuan pepper
Shredded sesame chicken pancakes with spiced plum sauce
- Preparation and cooking time
- Prep:
- Cook:
- Easy
- Serves 4 - 6
Skip to ingredients
For the chicken
- 1.8kg whole chicken
- 2 tbsp sunflower oil
- 2 tbsp five spice powder
- 2 tbsp clear honey
- 2 tbsp sesame seed
For the plum sauce
- 6 plumsstones removed and quartered
- 3 tbsp soft brown sugar
- 2 tsp five spice powder
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 100ml rice wine vinegaror Sherry
To serve
- soft Chinese pancakesor wraps, warmed
- ½ cucumberfinely shredded
- 6 spring onionsfinely shredded
Nutrition: per serving (6)
- kcal433
- fat23g
- saturates6g
- carbs19g
- sugars19g
- fibre2g
- protein38g
- salt0.5glow
Method
step 1
Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Sit the chicken in a roasting tin, drizzle with oil and rub all over with the five-spice and plenty of seasoning. Roast in the centre of the oven for 30 mins.
step 2
Turn the oven down to 160C/140C fan/ gas 3 and cook for a further 1 hr 50 mins. Meanwhile, prepare the plum sauce. Put the plums, sugar, five-spice, cornflour and a good pinch of salt in a separate roasting tin. Toss everything together, then pour in the vinegar, mix again and set aside.
step 3
Remove the chicken from the oven and increase the heat back to 200C/180C fan/ gas 6. Drizzle over the honey and sprinkle with sesame seeds, then return to the oven for 20 mins, with the plums on the shelf underneath. When the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven and cover with foil. Leave to rest for 20 mins before serving. Continue cooking the plums for 15 mins more, until they are soft and the sauce is thick and sticky.
step 4
To serve, shred the chicken with forks and pile into warm Chinese pancakes or wraps with the warm plum sauce, and some shredded cucumber and spring onions.
