Chinese Chicken
If you are looking for a simple roast chicken recipe which is a touch different from the norm, then look no further as basically what we have here is a delicious roasted chicken flavoured with Asian five spice, soya sauce and honey. Delicious.
This recipe was shared with me by a visiting Asian friend and I thought as it is so darn good, I just had to share with you. What a brilliant idea – recreate the traditional Asian favourite Peking Duck but use a chicken instead!
Have a go and enjoy with the delicious fresh Spring Onion and Ginger sauce and of course bowls of sticky white rice, and if you are feeling adventurous do eat with Chinese pancakes, as you would for a Peking Duck.
Ingredients
-
1 large whole chicken
-
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
-
Asian Five Spice Marinade:
-
2 tbsp light soya sauce
-
2 tbsp dark soya sauce
-
1 tbsp sugar- jaggery or caster
-
5-6 slices of fresh ginger- approximately 2 tbsp
-
1 tsp Chinese five spice powder
-
Basting Sauce:
-
Left over marinade- cooked
-
2 tbsp maple syrup- or runny honey
-
Spring Onion Ginger Sauce:
-
5 spring onions- washed, trimmed and finely chopped
-
5-6 slices fresh root ginger- finely chopped or grated
-
Generous pinch of salt- to taste
-
7 tablespoons sunflower oil- peanut, canola, grape, corn - do not to use olive oil
Instructions
-
Prepare the chicken:
-
01 Lightly dust the inside of the chicken with 1 tsp of Chinese five spice powder.
-
02 In a large bowl or ziploc bag, combine the marinade and coat the chicken in it. Marinate for a minimum of 4 hours or preferably overnight (image 2).
-
To roast:
-
03 Remove the chicken from the fridge 30 minutes prior to cooking and stuff the chicken with the sliced ginger from the marinade.
-
04 Set up a tray with a rack and set the chicken on it. (If you don't have a rack, you can crunch up foil balls and set the chicken on it).
-
Make the basting sauce:
-
05 With the leftover marinade, place in a small pot and cook over a low heat for 5-10 minutes.
-
06 Add in 2 tablespoons of maple syrup or honey. This will help to sweeten and thicken the sauce. Set this aside as you will need this marinade for the basting at the final stage of cooking (image 3).
-
Roast the chicken:
-
07 Now place the chicken with the wrack and roasting tin into the preheated oven and follow the next few stages:
-
08 After 20 minutes, you should see oil drippings. Baste the chicken with the oil every 20 minutes for an hour. If you don't get any oil drippings, you can use 1-2 tablespoon of oil and brush it on instead (image 4).
-
09 Once the chicken has cooked in the oven for an hour, start basting it with the basting sauce every 10-15 minutes or until the marinade is used up - approximately another 30 minutes (image 5).
-
10 Finally remove the chicken from the oven after about 1 hour and 30 minutes of cooking. This may vary depending on the size of the chicken and the stove settings.
-
11 Let the chicken rest for 10-15 minutes before serving and make the spring onion ginger sauce (image 6).
-
How to make the Spring Onion Ginger Sauce:
-
12 Chop the spring onions and grate or chop the fresh ginger.
-
13 Place both the spring onions, ginger and salt into a small bowl and mix everything well together.
-
14 In a small pan heat up the oil until it is hot and smoking. IMPORTANT - the oil must be VERY hot, in order to ‘cook’ the ingredients.
-
15 Finally pour the hot oil into the bowl of chopped spring onions and ginger. You should hear a sizzle. Mix well and voila it’s done!
-
To serve:
-
16 This delicious chicken can be enjoyed hot or cold, with generous spoonfuls of the spring onion and ginger sauce and of course bowls of sticky white rice.
Notes
This recipe is a take on the traditional Chinese delicacy Peking duck but substituted by using a chicken. Please choose a large plump bird and marinade well (overnight is best). For the Spring Onion Ginger Sauce it is very important to heat the oil to smoking hot, so that it literally cooks the ingredients as it hits. This sauce can keep for up to 1 week and should be stored in the refrigerator. I recommend NOT TO USE a strong flavoured oil when making this sauce as this will destroy its unique flavour. Finally, enjoy the chicken hot or cold, either way this recipe is absolutely delicious.
