Roast Barbecued Chicken

Hello Everyone! As of today I have been working 24 days straight – 3 Sundays of work, and another to look forward to this weekend. I cannot wait for a public holiday coming up next week, and then two Sundays off before I head back into another 2 Sundays of work towards the end of May. I know, I shouldn’t be complaining since I only work for about 2-3 hours on Sundays, but I guess it’s the fact that I have to get up early and do work in humid and ventilation-challenged areas makes it a depressing start to the ONLY weekend I have. Yeap, this is my life now. Anyway! Sorry to start off all moody and what nots; I have been feeling a little burnt out and just not in the mood these past couple of days – I’m hoping that I can change that with a little bit of rest… Hopefully.

Tonight’s recipe is one that I have been hesitant of sharing on my blog because it’s my Mom’s special barbecue marinade recipe. We finally came around to a decision to share it on the blog, and so I will be sharing her ever so deliciously finger-licking good marinade for a whole roast chicken. We usually fire up the barbecue for this recipe, but recently we have been roasting the meat in the oven for a healthier option to charcoal-barbecued chicken. You can also use this marinade for pork or lamb. I once brought some yummy pork bellies to a barbecue party that my colleague hosted a few months back. It was a great hit amongst my other colleagues and so I believe that they’ll be overly happy to know that I am posting the recipe for my Mom’s special barbecue marinade on the blog.

PREP TIME 20* MINS | COOKING TIME 1 HOUR 35 MINS | SERVES 6

*plus 4-6 hours of marination, or preferably overnight

INGREDIENTS

2kg whole chicken, washed and cleaned thoroughly
1 bulb garlic, peeled and crushed
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 heaped tbsp hot & spicy UFC Banana Catsup
1 heaped tbsp light soy sauce
1 heaped tbsp oyster sauce
Ground salt and black pepper, to taste
Juice of 5 calamansi

Cooking twine

METHOD

Combine all the ingredients in a large mixing bowl. Mix well until combined. Coat your chicken in the marinade and then leave in the fridge to marinate for about 4-6 hours (or preferably overnight). Remove chicken from the fridge 45-60 minutes before roasting to bring it back to room temperature.
Preheat oven to 230C (450F or gas mark 8). Line a baking tray with aluminium foil and place a rack above it.
Start by making a loop with the twine and fastening it around the stub of the neck. Bring it around the sides and tie a knot at the cavity, then pull it tight around the breast. Now, loop the twine around the drumsticks and tie another knot, tightening it until the legs cross.
Place the chicken on the rack and into the preheated oven for 10-15 minutes. The lower the heat down to 175C (350F or gas mark 4) and continue roasting for an hour and 20 minutes more until cooked all the way through.
Once done, remove the oven and set aside to rest for about 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!