Ingredients

  • 8 Chicken fryer drumsticks
  • 4 c Cold water
  • Cornstarch for dredging
  • 1/2 c Dark soy Sauce
  • 3 c Oil for deep-frying
  • 1/2 c Rock Sugar
  • 1 c Dried chestnuts
  • 1/2 c Medium sherry
  • 1 Five-spice bouquet (OR 1 tbsp Five-spice powder)
  • 1/2 tsp Salt


Direction

  1. At least 12 hours before cooking this dish, rinse several times then soak dried chestnuts.
  2. After soaking, remove pieces of skin wedged in nutmeat.
  3. Deep-frying: In wok or similar pan, slowly heat deep-frying oil until bubbles quickly form around chopstick held vertically in oil.
  4. Meanwhile, dredge drumsticks in cornstarch; shake off excess starch.
  5. Deep- fry drumsticks 2 at a time until brown, about 5 minutes.
  6. Remove from oil; and place on absorbent paper towel to absorb grease.
  7. Red-cooking: Put water in sandy pan or comparable Casserole dish;
  8. add 5- spice bouquet, soy Sauce, sherry & salt (5-spice powder can be substituted, though the final flavor will be less distinctive).
  9. Slowly bring to boil, reduce heat, cover pot & simmer 15 minutes.
  10. Remove cover; discard bouquet; add salt & rock Sugar; dissolve rock Sugar.
  11. You can stop here until near serving time.
  12. About 30 minutes before serving time, add drumsticks & soaked chestnuts to Hot red-cooked Sauce.
  13. Simmer in covered pot for 15 minutes;
  14. remove cover; simmer for another 15 minutes.
  15. Sauce should have reduced by about 1/3, and become bright & thick.
  16. To serve, prop drumsticks up around sides of sandy pot; spear chestnuts with sate sticks or long toothpicks.

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