Nonya lemongrass roast chicken
“If I had to pick my favourite British food, the humble roast chicken would definitely be one of my top contenders. I love everything about roast chicken – the homely smell that permeates the kitchen as it cooks in the oven, the theatre of bringing a whole bird to the table and carving it to share, the delicious contrast of crisp brown skin and juicy meat. This chicken dish brings together the best of both worlds: the classic British roast chicken and the fragrant Peranakan ayam panggang (grilled spiced chicken). The sweet coconut milk, fragrant lemongrass and spices make this roast chicken an extra-special feast.” - Shu Han Lee
SERVES 4
1 medium chicken (about 1.6 kg)
vegetable oil, for greasing and drizzling
For the marinade
100g shallots, roughly chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, base only, finely chopped
1 large (25g) fresh red chilli
1 tsp ground turmeric
½ tsp ground white pepper
½ tsp ground coriander
200ml (¾ cup) coconut milk
juice of ½ lime
2 big pinches of coarse sea salt
Blend all the ingredients for the marinade together in a blender until relatively smooth – flecks of chilli or lemongrass are ok.
Place the chicken in a greased roasting tin. Make a small slit at the bottom of the chicken breasts, then rub some of the spice marinade all over between the skin and flesh. Smear the rest of the marinade all over the chicken. Set aside for at least an hour – preferably overnight for maximum flavour.
When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 160°C fan forced. If you left the chicken in the fridge overnight, let it come back up to room temperature first. Drizzle the chicken with a bit more oil, cover the tin with foil and place in the oven for 1 hour.
After an hour, remove the foil and let it roast, uncovered, for another hour, basting halfway through. Finally, whack the oven up to 220°C fan forced and roast for a further 30 minutes or so until the chicken’s skin is golden brown and the juices run clear when the thigh is pierced with the tip of a sharp knife.
Remove the chicken from the oven and leave it to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. It should be juicy and fall-apart tender. The pan juices will have all the wonderful flavours of turmeric, lemongrass and coconut, so make sure to spoon generously over the chicken to serve. Try this with Pandan Jasmine Rice (page 32) and a Cucumber Pineapple Salad (page 92); or you could just as happily eat this with roast potatoes.
Read Our Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore cookbook review here
This is an edited extract from Agak Agak: Everyday Recipes from Singapore by Shu Han Lee, published by Hardie Grant Books. Photography by Ola O. Smit.
