Lechon Manok

Roasted Whole Chicken

There was a time in Manila when almost every street corner had a Lechon Manok stand.

It was a fad back then, though now, the real good ones prevailed and are still around...

Lechon Manok is roasted whole chicken, perfectly seasoned, fork-tender and wrapped and served on banana leaves.

It is roasted on an open indoor charcoal pit, and continuously basted - you could smell it a block away!

My take on this roasted chicken is different, because I don't have a pit to roast the chicken on -- but the taste is just as good.

I brine the chicken overnight in water-salt-sugar solution - and oven-roast for an hour to an hour and a half (depending on the weight of the chicken), basting from time to time with lemon-soy sauce-garlic mixture...

Brine solutions make the meat moist, tender and juicy.

It is also inexpensive -- no wonder it is a popular method of preparing turkey, pork chops and other cuts of meat that are to be roasted or oven-baked for quite a long period of time.

Tying a roaster chicken is not that hard, just remember that the wings and legs cannot be sticking out because they will burn before everything else gets cooked.

If you are not a fan of tying or trussing a chicken, tuck the wings backwards so they are not sticking out.

Make small holes on the skin across the drumstick and tuck each leg - and you're good to go.

YOUR SHOPPING LIST:

  • Roaster Chicken
  • Food-safe twine for tying

IN THE PANTRY:

  • Rock or Kosher Salt
  • Sugar
  • Garlic powder
  • Soy Sauce
  • Lemon Juice

INGREDIENTS

        

  • 1 5-6 pound Roaster Chicken
  • 1/2 cup Rock or Kosher Salt
  • 1 gallon Water
  • 1/2 cup Sugar
  • 1 tablespoon garlic powder (optional)
  • 1/3 cup Soy Sauce
  • 1/4 cup Lemon Juice

1   Heat up 3 cups of water (from the gallon measure) and dissolve the salt and sugar, then mix to the rest of the water. Set aside to cool down.

2  Wash the chicken thoroughly and set on a deep container. Add the brine solution, making sure the chicken is fully submerged. Keep in the refrigerator for 8 hours or overnight.

3  Rinse the chicken well and discard the brine. Truss the chicken with a twine, making sure the wings and legs are tied close to the body.

4  Mix the soy sauce, lemon and garlic powder and baste the chicken.

5  Set the chicken on a roasting pan, and roast for one hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit while covered with aluminum foil.

6  After an hour and a half, baste the chicken with the lemon/soy sauce. Increase oven temperature to 375 degrees Fahrenheit and roast for another 30 minutes, uncovered, to make the skin crisp.

7  Check for doneness by using a meat thermometer inserted on the chicken breast. It should read 165 degrees Fahrenheit or above.

8  Serve hot with the chicken au jus(liquid left on the roasting pan) on the side.

BENG'S TIPS

  • Roasting time for chicken is 20 minutes per pound, so set your timer accordingly depending on the weight of your roaster chicken.
  • Though the total roasting time is dependent on the weight of your chicken, make sure the temperature is increased the last 20-30 minutes of the allotted time to crisp up the skin.
  • I never use iodized salt for brining, it is more concentrated than kosher or table salt. The chicken will be very salty if you follow the same measure.
  • Always practice food safety procedure when handling raw chicken. Wash with warm soapy water all surfaces that came in contact with chicken.

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