Uncle Boon's Thai roast chicken , sort of ?!


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 . 

Comments

  1. Must taste so delicious with all the exotic flavours you've roasted the chicken with.... I can just imagine it and am drooling already...You're one lucky lady... Anne! Carry on having a good day:)

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  2. 哎呀
    你可以留鸡腿给我吗?
    我最喜欢吃鸡腿了,嘻嘻

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  3. Anne, your chicken looks really succulent, tender and beautiful.

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  4. That looks really amazing. I am sure it tasted delicious.

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  5. Your photos are beautiful. I can almost taste everything you depict!

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  6. This looks like one perfect roast chicken!!! And what a great brine!!!

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  7. OMG, Anne, this looks so beautiful! Love the oolor and the chicken look so juicy! It's making me hungry Anne!

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  8. Hi Anne,
    What a delicious, gorgeous looking bird! With perfect golden brown. Wish I could bite into the succulent juicy flesh!
    And you had me in big grin with your last sentence in the instructions, take some photos before it gets cold! Haha!

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  9. it looks like a perfect weekend dinner!

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  10. WOW! I should come here earlier to grab a piece of your delicious roast chicken meat :D The roasted chicken skin looks so tempting, makes me drool!

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  11. Hi Anne, wah... your roasted chicken look so finger licking good.Can I come over to join you? LOL
    I want the skin too, look really delicious. :))

    Have a wonderful day.

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  12. Hi Anne!

    Is that $150.00 for 3 pounds and up or $1.50? Just curious:)

    Any way, your roast chicken looks luscious. (or should I say Uncle Boon's? I'll have to look that up:) I love that you put some surprises in the cavity. Sometimes I put a whole orange or lemon inside, peeled of course. I'll have to try some lemon grass.

    Thank you so much for sharing, Anne. How col is it that you have a rotisserie in your oven. I want one!!!

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    Replies
    1. Louise , that's 150. Hongkong dollars :D You should try lemongrass in your roasted chicken next time , I'm sure you'll gonna love it ! It's a counter top oven with a metal spit which is really good for roasting a whole chicken :D

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  13. I used to roast my own chicken but now I don't because cleaning up is such a chore....moreover the boys are all adults now and mostly eating out so any leftovers takes a loooonnnnggg while to finish! And guess who will be eating it:P Yours could do with a little more time in the oven but looks really juicy from here.

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  14. Look at the ingredients, I sure want to try this roast chicken one day.

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  15. That is one delicious looking chicken!

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  16. Yum! This is a perfectly cooked chicken!

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  17. wow, that's a beautiful roast chicken. Uncle boon? who is he?? hehe...but i keep this recipe for sure!

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  18. Hi Anne,

    With Thai style seasoning, your roast chicken looks and tastes special... Definitely not the common kind that we can get from supermarkets :D

    Zoe

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  19. Hey Anne, this looks so good. Love the idea of lemon-y chicken roast...and the skin does look golden yellow and crackling :-)

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