Buddhist Mock Roast "Chicken" and Loose "Chicken Meat"

If you fancy 'chicken' but don't have the time or courage to attempt the full recipe here you can use the 'chicken meat' right from the end of part one of the recipe.
[u]Part One: Making the 'Chicken Meat’[/u]
1. In a stockpot, mix together water, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, salt and stock powder. Simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
2. Break the dried bean curd sheets whilst still in the unopened plastic (no mess this way), I usually snap it 3 ways width wise and 4 ways length wise, so you end up with little squares, cut open the bags and pour the dried bean curd pieces into the liquid. Mix it in and then allow it to simmer for a good half hour with a lid on, this is important as this step makes it nice and digestible. Turn off heat and allow the pot to sit until the contents are cool enough to handle.
[u]Part Two: Turning It Into a Roast ‘Chicken” with Crispy Skin[/u]
3. Open up your oiled bean curd sheets and separate them carefully as they are prone to tearing and you want these whole. Spread one piece out on a clean dry draining board, with your hand grab a good sized handful of the boiled mixture and place it near the bottom of the oiled skin, rolling it up and then forming an envelope closure at the end. Repeat this until the mixture is used up.
4. Carefully place your packages into a steamer and steam for an hour. Then allow to cool (this helps them firm up nicely) BEFORE either transferring to an oiled baking dish.
5. Mix together coating ingredients. Coat both sides of 'chicken' parcels and then roast in a 400 degree F oven for 45 minutes, turning as necessary to avoid burning. Alternatively, you can deep or shallow fry them for crispy 'chicken' skin. Enjoy and please share this simplified recipe around.
Use in stir-fry, casseroles, salads, etc.
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Ok here are some links to help with identification of the products you need:
[b]Dried Curd[/b]: It is very, very brittle and crispy. You will most likely not get it home in one piece, but that doesn't matter as you will be smashing it up anyways. (You can also buy dried bean curd sticks which can be snapped and used in part one if you are just wanting pieces, although they are a lot firmer than the sheets, take longer to cook, and the chicken texture isn't there as well as with the mock chicken recipe.)[img]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Yuba_driedbeancurd.jpg[/img]
[b]Oiled Bean Curd[/b]: This is the skin of your ‘chicken’. It looks like dried curd, but it is flexible and oily looking.[img width=350 height=233]http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2422/3850173255_fb305c7a96.jpg[/img]
[b]Toasted Sesame Oil[/b]: make sure the oil is dark like this, if it is clear or pale then it is not toasted and will have no flavor, it is the toasted sesame oil that gives the chicken flavor.[img width=261 height=390]http://www.internationalcollection.co.uk/upload/images/113/big/toasted_s...
The thing I hear time and again from people who are inexperienced with bean curd in all its guises, including tofu, is that it is bland. And the answer I give every time is this: bean curd is a blank canvas that you must paint. It takes on the flavors that you provide it with and experience has brought forth many beautiful tasty meals from this blank canvas. You bring it to life.
Source of recipe: Ok, this is the simple way to make this, I found the original way was far more complicated but yielded exactly the same results and so came up with this far easier version.