1 Whole fryer chicken or capon, about 3-1/4 lb.
2 teaspoons Soy sauce
2 teaspoons Rice wine
4 cups Vegetable oil for deep-frying
1 oz. Dried chinese black mushrooms, soaked and sliced
2 oz. Bamboo shoots; sliced
3 tablespoons Scallions, chopped
5 teaspoons Fresh ginger, sliced
2 oz. Yunnan preserved vegetable (a kind of sliced, salted mustard)
1 oz. Dates
2 cups Chicken stock
2 tablespoons Oyster sauce
2-1/2 tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon Ground sichuan peppercorn
2 tablespoons Cornstarch dissolved in
2 tablespoons Water
1/4 teaspoon Sesame oil
2 teaspoons MSG (optional)

Mix soy sauce and rice wine and rub over the chicken inside and out.

Heat the oil in a wok to 230°F. Add the chicken and deep-fry until brown.

Remove and drain. Pour the oil out of the wok.

Blanch the mushrooms and bamboo shoot slices briefly in boiling water, drain, and set aside.

Pour 3-1/2 oz of oil back into the wok over high heat to 340 until the surface ripples. Add the scallions and ginger and stir-fry. Add the remaining rice wine, soy sauce, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, preserved vegetable, dates, stock, oyster sauce, sugar, salt, peppercorn and chicken.

Boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer chicken until cooked. Add MSG.

Remove mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and dates, and place in serving dish.

Remove chicken, chop into 1 by 2 inch chunks, and stack in the serving dish. Discard preserved vegetable. Stir cornstarch-water mixture, add to the wok, stirring, until thick. Pour over the chicken and serve.