The Eurasian community arose from the intermarriage of Asian women with Portuguese, Dutch and British men who arrived in Asia in the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries. Their cuisine reflects the meeting of culinary and cultural styles, with some delicious results. Here the classic European roast chicken gets an Asian flavour profile and a lacquer-like Chinese glaze.
Ingredients
- Chicken 1 whole
- Soy Sauce 3 Tbs
- Honey 1 ½ Tbs
- Sherry 1 Tbs
- Sesame Oil 1 tsp
- Chinese Five Spice ½ tsp
- Allspice 1tsp
- White Pepper ½ tsp
- Salt ½ tsp
Cook It
- Preheat the oven to 375˚F and line a roasting pan with foil.
- To butterfly the chicken, use poultry shears or robust kitchen scissors, cut down both sides of the chicken backbone and remove it.
- Flip the chicken over and snip through the wishbone. Press down firmly on the breast to flatten the chicken. Work your fingers or the handle of a wooden spoon under the chicken skin to loosen it from the flesh.
- In a mixing bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Stand the chicken on end and pour some marinade into the loose pockets under the skin. Massage the rest of the marinade all over the chicken and its cavity.
- Roast the chicken until the skin is burnished and the juices run clear, about 60 minutes. Remove from the oven and tent with foil to rest for at least 15 minutes before carving.
