Chicken Inasal Recipes

CHICKEN INASAL (GRILLED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• To prepare chicken: Whisk 1 cup vinegar, calamansi (or lemon) juice, seltzer, lemongrass, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons garlic, ginger, 1 1/2 teaspoons pepper and 1 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Reserve 1/2 cup of the marinade for basting. Add chicken to the bowl and massage the marinade into it. Cover the chicken and the reserved marinade and refrigerate separately for 8 hours.
• When ready to cook, preheat half the grill to medium-high; leave the other half unheated. Whisk atsuete oil into the reserved basting marinade.
• Remove the chicken from its marinade (discard that marinade). Cook the chicken on the unheated part of the grill for 20 minutes. Flip and cook, basting often with the reserved marinade, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part without touching bone registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, prepare sauce: Whisk vinegar, chile, garlic, shallot, salt and pepper in a small bowl. Serve the chicken with the sauce.

CHICKEN INASAL

Steps:

• Peel and/or cut away the dark, fibrous parts of the lemongrass until you get to the white and light green portions. Using a knife, finely chop lemongrass.
• In a large bowl, combine vinegar, calamansi juice, garlic, ginger, lemongrass, sugar, salt, and pepper. Whisk until well-blended.
• Add chicken and cover bowl. Marinate in the refrigerator for at 2 to 4 hours.
• In a wide pan over medium heat, place chicken fat and cook, turning as needed, until crisp and renders oil. Using a slotted spoon, remove skin and bottoms.
• Lower heat and add annatto seeds, crushed garlic, and bay leaf. Cook for about 1 to 2 minutes, turning as needed to prevent seeds from burning.
• Remove the pan from the heat and allow the oil to steep for about 1 hour or until oil is infused with deep orange color. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain oil. Discard aromatics and set aside oil.
• Lightly grease grill grates and heat over hot coals.
• Drain chicken from marinade and scrape off any stray aromatics. Arrange chicken in a single layer over hot grates with skin side up.
• Grill chicken, turning once or twice and basting regularly with the half of the chicken oil, for about 30 to 40 minutes or until a thermometer inserted in the thickest part of chicken registers 160 F.
• Remove from heat, cover, and allow to rest for about 3 to 5 minutes. Serve hot with the remaining chicken oil and steamed rice.

CHICKEN INASAL

Steps:

• Score the legs of the poussins and remove the wishbones. Make the marinade by combining all the ingredients in a bowl, add the poussin, cover and chill. Leave to marinate for at least 4 hrs.
• To make the basting butter, mix the garlic with the softened butter. Add the lemon juice, soft dark brown sugar and achuete oil for colour. Mix well.
• Heat the oven to 190C/170C fan/gas 5 and heat a griddle pan over a medium high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry. Season and coat with the achuete oil. Put upside-down on the griddle for 5 mins until the skin is crisp and golden, then flip over and transfer to the oven for 20-30 mins until cooked, checking and basting occasionally with butter. Leave to rest for 5-10 mins before serving.
• While the poussins are grilling, make the sinamak by mixing all the ingredients together in a bowl. Set aside.
• Cut the banana leaf into two 25 x 12cm rectangles using scissors. Run them under water, then toast in a dry pan, lightly blow torch or grill until toasted (this releases the natural oils and makes the leaf shiny). To serve, put the toasted banana leaf on a plate, top with a poussin, a spoonful of the atchara, a sprinkling of spring onions and serve the sauces and sinamak alongside.