ONION CHICKEN IN CASSEROLE
                                     China
              THE FRUGAL GOURMET COOKS WITH WINE

                                         
  1 chicken, hacked into 2" square pieces                                  
  2  Tablespeons light soy sauce           
  3  Tablespoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry                              
  1  teaspoon grated fresh ginger
  1/4 teaspoon five-spice powder
  2  large yellow Onions, peeled
  1  head iceberg lettuce
  4  green onions or scallions
  4  Tablespoons oil
  1   garlic clove, sliced thin
 


Using your cleaver, hack up the chicken. 
Cooking chicken with the bone in prevents the meat from drying out. 
Marinate the chicken pieces in the soy, wine, ginger, and five spice for about 15 minutes.

Cut the peeled onions into wedges and separate the leaves of the onions.

Tear the lettuce into salad like chunks.

Clean the green onions or scallions and slice lengthwise, once, 
then into 2 inch pieces.

Heat the wok or large frying pan until quite hot. Add the oil and the garlic. 
Toss for a moment. Add the chicken pieces drained of the marinade. 
Reserve the marinade. Stir-fry the chicken pieces until they are well browned on all sides.
You may have to do this in two batches if you are using a small frying pan.
Remove the chicken and set aside.

Add the onion leaves, along with 1 tablespoon of oil, to the pan and stir-fry until
they turn a brown. Do this slowly so that the sugar in the onion will caramelize a hit. 
When the onions are soft and brown return the chicken to the pan, alongwith
any juice that has accumulated around the chicken. If the mixture appears to be
too dry, add a few tablespoons of the meat marinade. There should be about 1/4
cup of juice in the bottom of the pan. Toss for a moment and remove from the heat.

Place the lettuce in the bottom of a 2-quart metal casserole with lid. Top with the
chicken and onion mixture and then with the sliced green onion. Cover and place
on a medium-burner for a few minutes until the lettuce has cooked and become
tender but still has some body. Serve from the casserole. Serves 4