← Nouns Cooking · Indonesian & Filipino

Ingredients

• 1.2 kg chicken leg quarters or thighs on the bone
• 125 ml cane or coconut vinegar
• 80 ml calamansi or lime juice
• 3 Lemongrass, tender part finely chopped
• 4 cm piece Ginger, peeled and chopped
• 6 cloves Garlic
• 2 tbsp Brown sugar
• 2 tsp Salt
• 1 tsp Black pepper
• 80 ml Vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp Annatto (atsuete) seeds
• 2 tbsp butter or margarine, melted (optional)
• 1 tbsp calamansi or lime juice
• ¼ tsp Salt

Method

1. Pound or blend the lemongrass, ginger and garlic to a rough paste and mix with the vinegar, calamansi juice, sugar, salt and pepper.
2. Slash the chicken to the bone in two or three places, toss it in the marinade and leave it covered in the fridge for at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
3. For the basting oil, warm the oil and annatto seeds in a small pan over low heat for 3–4 min until the oil turns deep orange; do not let the seeds burn. Strain, then stir in the butter (if using), calamansi juice and salt.
4. Heat a barbecue or griddle pan to medium. Grill the chicken for 25–30 min in total, turning every 5 min and brushing with the annatto oil after the first 10 min, until charred in spots and 75°C (165°F) at the bone.
5. Rest for 5 min. Serve with rice drizzled with a little annatto oil and a dip of soy sauce, calamansi and chopped chilli.

Tips

• Medium heat matters: the vinegar marinade and sugar char long before thick pieces are cooked on a very hot grill.
• Margarine is the classic Bacolod choice; use only oil for a dairy-free baste. The soy dip at the table contains wheat.

Sources

Written in our own words after cross-checking these recipes:

Panlasang Pinoy Foxy Folksy