Cantonese roast chicken

Serves 4 Starters and mains

Advertisement

Method

The day before, put the spatchcocked chicken in a roasting tray that will fit in the fridge. Run your fingers between the skin and the meat to separate, while keeping the skin intact. Mix the marinade ingredients together, then rub it well around the cavity of the chicken only, trying not to get any on the skin. Mix the glaze ingredients together, then brush a generous layer on to the skin. Cover the chicken with another tray – ideally perforated to allow air to circulate – or a sheet of foil pierced with a few holes. Transfer to the fridge for 2–3 hours.

Brush the skin again with the glaze and chill for another 2–3 hours. Brush once more with the glaze before leaving it in the fridge overnight.

For the spiced salt, toast the Sichuan peppercorns in a dry pan over a medium heat, swirling them around, for 1–2 minutes until they pop and become fragrant. Remove and grind using a pestle and mortar or a spice grinder and mix with the salt and sugar, then set aside.

The next day, remove the chicken from the fridge, lift off the tray or foil and rub the baking powder and salt all over the skin to dry out further. Leave the chicken to come up to room temperature for 1-2 hours, dabbing any wet patches with kitchen paper every 30 minutes or so. Keep the chicken covered with a mesh food cover if you have one.

Preheat the oven to 150C/ 130C F/Gas 2. Brush the chicken with a light coating of vegetable oil all over the skin, then put on a wire rack set over a roasting tray and roast for 55 minutes. Increase the oven temperature to 200C/180C F/ Gas 6 and roast for another 15 minutes to crisp the skin.

Chop the chicken into pieces and serve with the spiced salt on the side.