These two recipes are ideal summertime fare, whether slow-cooked on the grill or in the oven. The spatchcocked chicken is paired with chilled, crunchy, smashed cucumbers, making it the perfect entrée for a leisurely summer day. The Balinese chicken, on the other hand, demands a bit more labor, but the extra time and effort are well worth it. It generates an extraordinary flavor explosion of charred, rich coconut, aromatic grilled chicken, spice, and sweetness. It is a wonderful summertime show-stopper when served with tamarind pineapple and sambal sauce.
Spatchcocked chicken with soy, five-spice and molasses, and smacked cucumber salad
Prep 15 min
Marinate 1 hr+
Salt 3 hr+
Cook 1 hr
1 x 1-1½kg chicken, spatchcocked
For the marinade
4 tbsp runny honey
2 tbsp groundnut oil
6 fat garlic cloves, peeled and very finely chopped
1 thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and very finely chopped
3 heaped tbsp Chinese five-spice
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
4 tbsp light soy sauce
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
2 tbsp dark molasses
1 tbsp mirin (Japanese rice wine)
For the smacked cucumber salad
1 cucumber
1 tbsp flaky sea salt
10g wakame seaweed (optional)
1 thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
5 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
25g caster sugar
50ml sesame oil
35ml light soy sauce
50ml rice wine vinegar
1 pinch of Korean chili flakes, or to taste
Put all the ingredients for the marinade into a big, wide, shallow bowl and mix thoroughly. Cut a few slits into the chicken’s skin, then add it to the bowl and turn it to coat in the marinade. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least one hour, and preferably overnight; turn the chicken occasionally to ensure that it remains evenly coated.
In the interim, make the salad. Use a rolling pin to split up the cucumber, then cut it into jagged, uneven pieces. Place the ingredients in a colander, sprinkle with salt, and allow to steep at room temperature for at least three hours, but overnight is preferable.
Remove the salt from the cucumber chunks and pat them dry. If using seaweed, place it in a basin, cover it with cold water, and let it sit for 15 minutes until it is rehydrated and plump. In a small bowl, combine the ginger, garlic, sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, and vinegar. Whisk to dissolve the sugar, then stir in the chili flakes.
Refrigerate the cucumber after adding the dressing and seaweed and tossing to coat.
Remove the chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking and preheat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 (or light the barbecue). Place the chicken on a shallow baking sheet and coat it thoroughly with the remaining marinade. Roast for 40-45 minutes (or cook on the cooler side of a barbeque), basting the chicken every 15 minutes with the remaining marinade until fully done.
Carve and serve with the salad from the refrigerator and possibly some steamed rice.
Balinese barbecued chicken
Prep 20 min
Marinade Overnight
Cook 1 hr
Serves 4-6
1 x 1½kg chicken, jointed
For the marinade
100ml coconut or rapeseed oil
1 tsp belacan (shrimp paste)
6 Asian red shallots (or 3 regular shallots), peeled and roughly chopped
1 stalk lemongrass, the pale part roughly chopped
6 garlic cloves, peeled and roughly chopped
1 large mild red chilli, roughly chopped
2cm piece fresh ginger, peeled and roughly chopped
2 tbsp fish sauce
2 tbsp kecap manis (or dark soy sauce; optional)
1 tsp sea salt
1 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp brown sugar
1 x 400ml can coconut milk
For the spice paste
350g Asian (or regular) shallots, peeled and sliced
190g garlic, peeled and sliced
90g galangal, peeled and sliced
25g cashew nuts
190g fresh turmeric, peeled and sliced
5 bird’s eyes chillies, finely sliced
30g palm sugar, chopped
3 stalks lemongrass, bruised
4 makrut lime leaves
1 tbsp salt
For the sambal belacan
10 red chillies, thinly sliced
1 tbsp belacan (shrimp paste)
1-1½ tsp palm sugar, to taste
2 tbsp lime juice
For the pickled pineapple
1 pineapple
Salt
1 tbsp chopped green or red chilli
2 tbsp sugar
120g cider or rice-wine vinegar
2 tbsp tamarind paste
Make the marinade first. In a bowl, combine the oil and shrimp paste. The oven should be heated to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 Place the shrimp paste mixture on a small sheet of aluminum foil, wrap, and roast for 15 to 20 minutes, or until quite aromatic. Mix the heated paste with the remaining marinade ingredients in a blender.
Place the chicken in a large basin, pour the marinade on top, toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least six hours (and ideally 24).
Peel the pineapple, rub it all over with salt, and let it sit for one hour at room temperature. Cut the pineapple into quarters and remove the core after rinsing it under cold running water to remove the salt. Place the chopped chili, sugar, and 1 tablespoon of salt in a bowl, and then toss the pineapple quarters in the mixture.
In a small saucepan, combine the vinegar and tamarind paste. Add 100ml water and heat to a simmer while stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour this into a Kilner jar or similar container and let it cool. Add pineapple quarters, then cover and refrigerate overnight. The pineapple pickle will now last up to three months in the refrigerator.
About 30 minutes before cooking, remove the chicken from the refrigerator, dump the liquid from the bowl, and let it come to room temperature. Meanwhile, place the ingredients for the spice paste in a food processor and pulse until smooth.
The oven should be heated to 180C (160C fan)/350F/gas 4 Coat the chicken with the spice paste and place it in a deep roasting pan. Roast for 30 to 40 minutes (or cook on the colder side of a barbeque) until well done and the skin has browned edges.
In the interim, prepare the sambal belacan. On low heat, toast the shrimp paste while swirling in a wok or skillet until fragrant. Scrape into a mortar or food processor, add the chilies, palm sugar, and lime juice, and crush to a coarse paste.
Place the chicken pieces on a big dish and serve alongside the pickled pineapple, sambal, sticky rice, and lettuce cups.
