Chicken inasal
Marinated in vinegar and ground spices, chicken inasal is traditionally grilled over glowing charcoal. Originating in Western Visayas, it has become a national comfort food. The recipe includes how to make the marinade, the basting oil and the dipping sauce.
Servings 4 people
Ingredients
- 1 kilogram chicken leg quarters (2.2 pounds) wiped dry with a kitchen towel
Marinade
- 6 stalks lemongrass (light colored portions of the stalks only)
- 1 head garlic peeled
- 2 thumb-sized knobs ginger peeled and cut into thin slices
- 1 half-inch knob turmeric peeled
- 2 tablespoons rock salt
- 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- ½ teaspoon annatto powder
- ¼ cup white vinegar (cane vinegar was used here)
Basting oil
- ½ cup palm oil
- 3 tablespoons annatto seeds dried
- 4 cloves garlic lightly pounded
Side salad
- 2 large tomatoes deseeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 small cucumber deseeded and cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 1 ripe mango cut into ¼-inch cubes
- 2 shallots peeled and roughly chopped
- 1 pinch salt
Dipping sauce
- ¼ cup rice vinegar (milder and a bit sweet)
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons calamansi juice (for a fruity brightness and better aroma)
- 2 shallots peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and pounded
- 2 bird's eye chilies thinly sliced
Instructions
Marinate the chicken
- Peel off the fibrous outer layers of the lemongrass. Lightly pound the remaining portions.
- With a mortar and pestle or a food processor, grind all the ingredients (except the vinegar) for the marinade.
- Rub the chicken with the marinade.
- Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in a container.
- Drizzle in the vinegar.
- Cover the container and allow the chicken to marinate for at least two hours. After two hours, flip them over to ensure even absorption of the flavors.
Make the basting oil
- In a small sauce pan set over very low heat, pour in the palm oil and add the annatto seeds and garlic.
- Heat until the annatto seeds have rendered color.
- Turn off the heat and leave the oil to cool.
- Strain the oil.
- While waiting for the oil to cool, make the salad and dipping sauce.
Make the salad
- In a bowl, toss together the tomatoes, cucumber, mangoes, shallots and salt.
- Cover the bowl and chill the salad in the fridge.
Make the dipping sauce
- Stir together all the ingredients in a bowl.
- Taste and adjust the seasonings to your preferred balance.
Grill the chicken
- Grill the chicken (over glowing charcoal is traditional), turning them over occasionally and brushing them with the basting oil every few minutes.
- To test for doneness, pierce the thickest part of the meat with a skewer. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done.
Serve your chicken inasal
- Transfer your chicken inasal to a serving platter or divide among individual plates.
- Serve with rice, the salad and dipping sauce on the side.