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1
Combine soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, ginger, scallions and star anise in a bowl. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate for a minimum of 2 hours. The marinade should penetrate throughout; the aroma at this stage is the ceiling of the finished dish.
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2
Brush each sheet of parchment or cellophane generously with oil on the side that will contact the chicken. Divide the chicken and its marinade aromatics among the sheets, keeping portions moderate — an over-filled package heats unevenly. Fold and tuck the paper into a firm, completely sealed envelope; no gap may remain through which oil can infiltrate. This is where the dish lives or dies: an inadequately sealed or under-oiled package tears on removal from the oil, flooding the meat and destroying the concentrated marinade within.
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3
Heat the neutral oil in a deep vessel to 180 °C. Lower the packages into the oil in batches without crowding. Fry for 8–10 minutes. The packages will puff slightly as internal steam builds — this swelling is the sign they are done.
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4
Remove the packages from the oil and rest on a rack for 2 minutes without opening. This pause allows heat to redistribute through the meat.
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5
Bring the packages to the table sealed. Open them at the moment of eating: aromatic steam escapes on unwrapping. Pour any accumulated marinade-sauce over the chicken immediately. Paper-wrapped chicken degrades quickly; it is served and eaten at once.