I went to the supermarket last time and lurked at the deli section , saw the price of some cheeses and cringed . Then the wonderful aroma suddenly hit my senses , I saw some whole roast chicken and my mouth suddenly waters . I didn't buy it of course and just settled for a chicken sandwich . Still thinking about those roasted deliciousness and thought maybe it's time to make it myself . Fresh chicken here is a bit steep , 3 pounds for $150 up and instead of buying fresh , which I only buy once in a blue moon , I bought the chilled one for this roast .
I've been eyeing several recipes and settled for this Thai-style version . I didn't know about Uncle Boons until I Googled it , yeah , go Google it yourself lol The coconut cream and the kaffir lime leaves rub sounds really good while I was checking out the list . It says that brined chicken and the coconut rub before roasting makes the skin yields a golden , crackly skin . I'm not so sure about the crackly skin but this was the best chicken I've eaten so far ! Succulent and delightfully flavorful , even the bones tastes good ! I placed some lemongrass and limes inside the cavity and they added another layer of flavor . Initially , I was planning to make a dipping sauce ( soy sauce , lime juice , rice vinegar and chopped fresh chillies ) but a generous drizzle of lime is all you need . I used the rotisserie function of our oven and the continuous turning of the spit makes the skin turned golden all over , or nearly .
Please check original recipe @ Food and Wine
Chicken brine :
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
75 grams Chinese brown ( slab ) sugar
3 tablespoons Thai fish sauce
5 cloves garlic , skin-on , smashed
6 kaffir lime leaves
3 tablespoons coarse salt
2 teaspoons chilli flakes
7 cups water
* Place all ingredients above in a saucepan and bring just into a simmer , stirring from time to time to dissolve the sugar .Cool completely and transfer to a container or a mixing bowl large enough to hold a whole chicken .
1 kg chicken
2 stalks lemongrass , cut in half and smash the white part
1 lime and 5 calamansi ( or 3 limes )
* Rub some coarse salt all over the chicken so as the cavity , rinse well and pat dry thoroughly with paper towels . Add chicken to the brine , cover with foil and put a plate on top to keep chicken submerge . Chill in the fridge for 6 hours or overnight .
* Place a wire rack over a rimmed baking sheet . Remove chicken from the brine , pat dry thoroughly with paper towels , put the chicken on the rack and refrigerate , uncovered for 3 hours to dry out the skin .
* Preheat the oven to 200°C . Rub the chicken all over with coconut mixture so as the cavity . Put the lemongrass and the limes inside the chicken cavity and truss the chicken . Let stand at room temperature for 45 minutes .
* Secure chicken to the rotisserie spit or place in a roasting pan and roast for an hour ( I cooked mine for 1 and 10 minutes ) or until internal temperature inserted on the inner thigh reads 165°F ( 170° ) . Let chicken rest for 10 minutes , take some photos before it gets cold , then carve the chicken and serve .
Rub mix :
2 kaffir lime leaves
4 tablespoons coconut cream
1/2 teaspoon freshly-ground black pepper
* Place lime leaves into a mortar and pound the leaves until you'll have some small specks , add in the coconut cream and ground pepper , mix well to combine .