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I bought boneless chicken breasts on sale..
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Remove the skin from the chicken meat..
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Flatten the chicken breast as best you can by butterflying and spreading the thickest part of the breast..
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To each breast meat, add 1 heaping tablespoon of sugar. I used a mix of white and light brown sugars, as you can see by the color in the photo. I used 3 heaping teaspoons to make up the heaping tablespoon..
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Rub the sugar on both sides evenly..
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Sprinkle black pepper evenly over the chicken. This time, sprinkle uniformly on one side..
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Over each breast meat, sprinkle 1 heaping teaspoon of salt. Rub the meat to thoroughly spread the salt and pepper over both sides..
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Put small tears into the bay leaves and lay on the chicken. Place the chicken into an airtight bag (such as a ziplock)..
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Let the chicken rest in the refrigerator like this for 2 days..
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After 2 days have passed, remove the chicken from the bag and place in a bowl. Cover the chicken with water and let it sit for 1 hour. After one hour, the sugar should have dissolved and you should only feel the gritty ground pepper on the surface..
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After one hour, shape the ham. Pat dry the ham with a paper towel. With the pepper still attached, lay the chicken so the opposite sides face, creating a even thickness. With the bay leaves spread on top, wrap the chicken tightly like a piece of candy..
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Seal the ends with rubber bands..
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It should look like this..
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In a pot big enough to hold the wrapped chicken, add a good amount of water, and bring to a boil..
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Add the wrapped meat and wait for the boiling to resume..
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As soon as it starts boiling, turn off the heat and cover the pot with a lid..
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Let the pot sit with the lid on for 6-7 hours. Do not lift the lid or disturb the pot. When the water has cooled the Chicken Ham is finished. It will keep in the refrigerator for 7-10 days. Note: I ate it after 20 days and it was still delicious..
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The salt I used this time contains citrus peel, poppy seed, flax seed, and cayenne pepper. It is called "Uchina- shio chan." If you add other herbs to the ham, it will probably turn out good..