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3. Using the flat side of a cleaver or a flat meat mallet, pound the chicken on both sides to ¼- to ½-inch thickness. Mix the flour, egg, soy sauce, rice wine, salt, and white pepper in a medium bowl until smooth. Fill one shallow dish with ½ cup water, and another shallow dish with the water chestnut flour. Dip each slice of chicken first into the batter so it is completely coated, then into the water, and then into the water chestnut flour, pressing the flour firmly into the chicken so it adheres.

4. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough oil to come about 2 inches up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 375°F. Working in two batches without crowding, add the chicken, one piece at a time, to the oil. The pieces should float in the oil, and bubbles will immediately form around them. Deep-fry, turning once, just until the chicken is pale gold, about 2 ½ minutes. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the chicken to a colander to drain. Reheat the oil to 375°F. Return the chicken to the oil and deep-fry again until golden brown and cooked through, about 1 ½ minutes, depending on the thickness of the meat. Transfer to paper towels to drain. Discard the oil.

5. On a chopping board, cut the chicken crosswise into 12 to 16 pieces, and place them on a serving platter. Pour the sauce over the chicken, and garnish with the lemon zest. Serve immediately.

THIS POPULAR HOME-STYLE Eastern China dish is the perfect meal for a cold winter night. Rock sugar, which has a honey-like richness, enhances the inherent sweetness of the chestnuts, and the warm spices in the sauce—the cinnamon, star anise, ginger, and peppers—will fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas of a red-cooked dish. Vacuum-packed cooked chestnuts are available at Asian markets and many supermarkets.

Traditionally, when the Chinese make a red-cooked chicken, they cut a four-pound chicken into 12 to 14 pieces, with the bone and the skin on. The chicken will take 45 minutes to cook. But because Shun Lee doesn’t usually like to serve chicken on the bone to its customers, we have simplified the dish and cook the boneless chicken in much less time. Makes 4 servings

Red-Cooked Chicken with Chestnuts

Vegetable oil, for passing through

14 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs, pounded to ½-inch thickness and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 cup (6 ounces) peeled cooked chestnuts

1 scallion, trimmed and cut in half

One ½-inch-thick slice peeled fresh ginger, smashed under a cleaver

1 ½ tablespoons smashed rock sugar

½ cinnamon stick, about 2 inches long

4 dried hot red peppers

1 whole star anise

3 tablespoons rice wine or dry sherry

¼ cup soy sauce

1 cup Chicken Stock (page 70) or canned chicken broth

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1 teaspoon dark sesame oil

1. Heat a large wok over high heat. Add enough vegetable oil to come 1 ½ inches up the sides of the wok, and heat it to 300°F. Add the chicken pieces, one at a time so they don’t splash or stick to each other, and stir gently until they turn white, about 1 minute. Add the chestnuts and fry for 20 seconds. Using a wide wire-mesh strainer, transfer the chicken and chestnuts to a colander to drain. Discard all but 2 tablespoons of the oil from the wok.

2. Return the wok with the oil to medium-high heat. Add the scallion, ginger, rock sugar, cinnamon, dried peppers, and star anise, and cook, reducing the heat as needed so the scallion doesn’t burn. Return the chicken and chestnuts to the wok, add the rice wine and soy sauce, and cook for 30 seconds. Add the stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Continue cooking, stirring often, until the sauce is reduced to a glossy syrup, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove and discard the peppers, cinnamon, star anise, scallion, and ginger.

3. Dissolve the cornstarch in 3 tablespoons cold water in a small bowl, and stir into the wok. Add the sesame oil and simmer for 20 seconds. Serve immediately.

SURROUNDED WITH FRAGRANT SALT and cooked on top of the stove, this chicken is truly succulent. (This