Five Spice Roasted Chicken
Asian Chicken Meat Dishes Oven Recipes Gluten-Free Recipes
Flavorful chicken from skin to breast. The skin is aromatic and slightly sweet thanks to the combination of spices and honey. And for the thicker chicken breast, although it comes out very tender, I prepared an aromatic sauce with spring onion and ginger that is added when serving. The crunchy cucumber salad is the most suitable accompaniment for this chicken, it refreshes the taste buds.
Ingredients
1/2 chicken for grilling (800-900g)
1/2 teaspoon Chinese five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic
20 grinds black pepper
1 level teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon soy sauce (regular, salty or dark)
1 tablespoon neutral oil (avocado, grapeseed or sunflower)
Glaze
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon soy sauce (regular salty or dark)
Spring onion, ginger and garlic sauce
3 spring onion stalks
1 heaped teaspoon finely grated ginger (paste)
1 teaspoon crushed garlic (2 large cloves)
1/2 red hot pepper
5 sprigs basil (optional)
1.5 tablespoons soy sauce (preferably light, usukuchi as it doesn't color the sauce)
1 tablespoon lime juice (from 1/2 lime)
zest from 1/4 lime
3 tablespoons neutral oil
Sesame cucumber salad
300g cucumbers
4 teaspoons soy sauce (preferably light, usukuchi as it doesn't color the sauce)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
a little salt
Servings: 2-3
How to prepare five spice roasted chicken
- In a small cup, mix the five spice powder, garlic, pepper and salt.
- Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then rub all over with soy sauce. Let it sit for 15 minutes at room temperature.
- After 15 minutes, rub with oil and then thoroughly coat (including the inside) with the spice mixture from step 1. Let it rest for another 15 minutes. Meanwhile, preheat the oven to 200C/390F.
- Place the chicken, skin side up, in an oven-safe dish that fits it (a wide pan/tray or a Pyrex dish). Put the chicken in the oven and roast for 45 minutes. After 20-25 minutes, baste all over with the juices released in the pan. If there aren't enough juices, you can use oil to baste it.
- In a small cup, mix the honey with soy sauce for glazing.
- After 45 minutes, remove the chicken from the oven and brush all over with the honey mixture. Return to the oven for 5 minutes, then brush again with the glaze and leave for another 5-10 minutes (during these last minutes, watch that the skin doesn't burn, honey burns easily).
- Remove the chicken and let it rest for 10-15 minutes.
- While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the remaining components.
- For the sauce, heat the oil in a small pan and add the spring onion chopped into rounds and the pepper cut into thin strips. Stir for 30 seconds, then add the garlic, stir again for 30 seconds, and finally add the ginger and stir for another 30 seconds.
- Transfer the sauce to a small bowl and add the thinly sliced basil, soy sauce, lime juice and zest. Stir and taste.
*Note, if using regular (not light) soy sauce, the sauce will turn out darker than in my photo.
Usukuchi is a soy sauce that doesn't color food, but has an intense and salty taste. Although it's called light, it's light in color not in taste. - Cut the cucumbers into not too thick slices (if using English cucumber, cut it in half lengthwise and then cut semi-circles holding the knife diagonally). Sprinkle with a little salt and mix. Let sit for 10 minutes, then squeeze the cucumbers of the juice released during this time. Add the soy sauce, mix and let marinate until serving. When you remember them during this time, stir the bowl so they marinate evenly.
- Drain the juice from the marinated cucumbers and then add the toasted sesame seeds.
- Serve the chicken whole (or portioned: first cut the wing from which you remove the tip, then the drumstick, then the thigh; slice the chicken breast to make it easier to serve) alongside the aromatic sauce and cucumber salad. The aromatic sauce is enough for 2 half chickens (meaning 4-5 servings). You can add steamed rice alongside.
The chicken served in portions