Preparation time
35 minutes plus marinating time
Cooking time
30–35 minutes
Serves
4
1 whole corn fed chicken, cut in half
100g gula melaka (palm sugar)
50ml fish sauce
80g lemongrass sate
Green chilli salt
4g scud chillies
40g long green chillies,
2 garlic cloves
40g red chillies
2 garlic cloves
100g salt
Red chilli salt
4g birdseye
40g long red chillies
2 garlic cloves
100g salt
Vietnamese mint, cumquats and steamed jasmine rice, to serve
Annatto oil
1 litre garlic oil
1 tbsp annatto seeds
1. Combine gula melaka, fish sauce and lemongrass sate in a non-reactive container, stir to ensure gula melaka is dissolved. Chop the chicken in half and rub with the marinade. Set aside in refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Chilli salts: for each chilli salt, pound the chillies and garlic then add the salt and pound to a paste. Place in a pan and slowly toast until dry. Set aside.
3. Annatto oil: heat up the garlic oil over medium heat, add the annatto seeds and infuse, 30–40 minutes.
4. Light the charcoal and wait until the coals are red and hot (approx. 25 minutes). Grill chicken over the charcoal on a medium/low heat for approx. 20–30 minutes (it’s cooked when the temperature reaches 75ºC at the thickest part). While grilling, lightly brush with annatto oil. Once cooked, set aside to rest for approx. 8–10 minutes.
5. To serve, chop the chicken and serve with chilli salt, cumquat and Vietnamese mint and jasmine rice on the side.