A popular national dish during autumn and winter, when chestnuts are in season.

Ingredients:

20 medium dried Chinese mushrooms, reconstituted
1 pound (450 grams) chestnuts
8 ounces (225 grams) canned bamboo shoots
1 oven-ready chicken, 4 to 41⁄2 pounds (1.8 to 2 kilograms)
3 to 4 tablespoons peanut or corn oil
3 tablespoons Shaohsing wine or medium-dry sherry
4 thickish slices fresh ginger root, peeled
2 whole star anise (16 segments)
1-inch (2.5-centimeter) cinnamon stick
1 1⁄2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar
4 to 5 tablespoons thick soy sauce
1 cup clear stock

Directions:

Drain and squeeze out excess water from the mushrooms but leave damp. Make a cross in the shell of each chestnut and put into a saucepan of cold water. Bring to a boil and boil for 3 to 5 minutes, depending on the size of the chestnuts. Remove from the heat but leave the chestnuts in the water. Shell and peel the chestnuts as best you can. Cube the bamboo shoots in the size of a small chestnut.

Chop the chicken through the bones into serving pieces, using a kitchen cleaver, a mallet and kitchen scissors, if necessary. Cut the wings, thighs and drumsticks at the joints and slit the whole breast off from the back. Cut and discard the pinions, then halve each wing at the joint and chop each piece crosswise into 2. Chop each thigh and drumstick crosswise into 2 or 3. Halve the breast lengthwise, then chop each half into 3 or 4 pieces. Do likewise with the back.

Heat a large, deep and heavy saucepan over high heat until very hot. Add the oil and swirl it around. Add the dark meat of the chicken, turn and toss to brown for about 3 minutes. Add the white meat, mushrooms and bamboo shoots and toss and turn for another 2 or 3 minutes. Add the wine or sherry, ginger, star anise and cinnamon, continuing to stir until the sizzling dies down.

Add the salt, brown sugar and soy sauce. Adjust the heat, turning and stirring so that the chicken will be dyed by the soy sauce. Pour in the stock and add the chestnuts. Bring to a boil and simmer fast for about 30 minutes, until the ingredients are tender. (The cooking up to this point can be done up to a day in advance.)

Just before serving, bring slowly to a boil. Turn up the heat to maximum, and as the sauce bubbles, spoon it over the ingredients. Repeat until the sauce has reduced and thickened, and the flavor has become richer. Transfer to a warm serving dish and serve piping hot.

Serves 6 to 8 as main course.