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1. Wash the chicken well inside and out under cold running water and pat it dry with paper towels. To flavor and partially cure the chicken, rub it inside and out with the salt, place it in a large bowl or baking dish and refrigerate loosely covered with wax paper for at least 8 hours or overnight.
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2. Pour enough boiling water into the lower part of a steamer to come within an inch of the cooking rack (or use a steamer substitute). Place the chicken on a deep heatproof platter ˝ inch smaller in diameter than the pot so that the steam can circulate freely around the chicken as it steams.
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3. Bring the water in the steamer to a rolling boil, place the chicken on the rack and cover the pot securely. Keeping the water at a continuous boil and replenishing it as it boils away, steam the chicken for 45 minutes.
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4. With heavy-duty aluminum foil, line the bottom of a deep, heavy casserole just large enough to hold the chicken comfortably. Sprinkle the brown sugar evenly over the foil and place the steamed chicken on a wire rack set over the sugared foil.
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5. Line the inside of the casserole lid with more foil, bringing it up over the edges of the lid to ensure its fitting the casserole tightly and to prevent any smoke from escaping. Cover the pot and set it over moderate heat for 10 minutes.
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6. Turn off the heat and let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before removing the lid. Lift out the smoked chicken and place it on a chopping board.
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7. With a pastry brush, lightly coat the skin with sesame-seed oil, then carve the chicken in the following fashion: Cut off the wings and legs. Divide the body of the chicken in half lengthwise by cutting through the breast and backbone.
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8. Lay the halves flat on a board skin side up and, with a cleaver, chop through them, bones and all, at 1-inch intervals. Reconstruct the pieces in their original form in the center of a large platter as you proceed.
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9. Then chop the wings and legs into 1-by-3-inch pieces and arrange them similarly reconstructed around the breast. Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature.
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