To 1 gallon of water in a large pot add 1 c. of Kosher salt.

Add your chicken and brine for 3 hours.

Take the chicken out of the brine and use paper towels to pat the chicken dry.

In a large bowl, add 5-spice powder, sesame oil, sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, water, mushroom sauce, dark soy sauce, xiao shing wine. Use a whisk to combine.

Add chicken and turn to coat. Make sure to get the marinade into the chicken cavity as well.

In a large bowl add all of the stuffing ingredients and mix well.

Take the marinated chicken and stuff the cavity tightly with the stuffing.

Truss the bird with butcher’s twine to keep the stuffing mixture from falling out.

Separate 3 lotus leaves and place them into a stoppered sink.

Cover them with hot tap water and allow them to soak for 15-20 minutes.

Dry the leaves of excess water with a towel.

On the counter top, arrange the lotus leaves into a triangle pattern. Make sure the leaves overlap.

Place the chicken in the center of the triangle and fold the edges over forming a tight package.

Use butcher’s twine to secure the leaves around the chicken.

Wrap the entire package in 2 sheets of newspaper.

Next cover the newspaper with a ¼” thick layer of clay, taking care to seal any cracks.

Use the tips of your fingers to create decorative furrows in the clay.

Place the clay wrapped chicken on a foil-lined baking sheet and bake in a preheated 450˚F oven for 1 hour.

Reduce the temperature to 350˚F and bake for an additional 2-3 hours.

Use a mallet to break the hardened clay.

Remove the clay to reveal the newspaper, peeling back to get to the lotus leaves.

Use a pair of kitchen shears to cup open the lotus leaves.

Serve with dipping sauce.

In a saucepan combine the chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil.

Bring to a simmer.

In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water.

Add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce and boil until thickened.

Serve with chicken.