1. With a small, sharp knife, cut away and discard the fat or bits of green gall from the chicken livers. Wash them quickly under cold running water and pat them dry with paper towels. Cut each liver into two pieces of approximately the same size.
2. In a heavy 2- to 3-quart saucepan, combine the soy sauce, brown sugar, water, ginger root, cinnamon, garlic, star anise and bay leaves and, stirring constantly, bring to a boil over moderate heat.
3. Reduce the heat to low, add the chicken livers and simmer for 2 or 3 minutes, or until the livers are firm and still pink inside. With a slotted spoon, transfer them to a plate to cool.
4. If you wish to reuse the cooking liquid, strain it through a fine sieve set over a bowl, cover tightly and refrigerate. It can be kept safely for a week or two. Discard the seasonings.
5. Pour oil into a deep fryer or large, heavy saucepan to a depth of 3 inches and heat the oil until it reaches a temperature of 375° on a deep-frying thermometer.
6. To assemble each rumaki, thread a piece of chicken liver and a water-chestnut half on a wooden toothpick. Insert the tip of the toothpick through one end of a half slice of bacon and twist the bacon around the liver and chestnut.
7. Deep-fry the rumaki 7 or 8 at a time, turning them about gently with a slotted spoon for about 1 minute, or until the bacon is crisp and golden. As they brown, transfer them to paper towels to drain. Serve at once.
