Lechon Manok ( Roast Chicken)

Howdy, howdy!? The last two weeks was action-packed for me: I had to choreograph a Subli dance ( Filipino folk dance ) at the last minute ( as in, the night before the presentation, August 30th) and sew my daughter a costume for that dance on the same night until the wee hours of the morning, and then bring the entire team to the school venue the following day, jittery and nervous, until the presentation was over. If you are wondering what a Subli dance would look like, watch THIS!

the Subli dance group, my daughter at the extreme far right

Arianne wearing the instant costume made overnight with the floral hat, with Marlie

Last week, my schedule was upset by my youngest daughter's  freak accident on the bathroom floor face-first, where she chipped three of her permanent teeth. I was distraught as I brought her to the dentist and sought for solutions to her swollen gums, lips and face. The issues I faced ultimately resolved itself by weekend and things are getting back to normal again.

I am super-excited to share our Filipino favorite street food of all time; the Lechon Manok or roast chicken. These are found ubiquitously in every main thoroughfare and provides fast, easy dinner on the go for employees rushing home to their families to share the evening meal, or to celebrate a no-time to prepare instant party.

Lechon Manok

Stalls are usually found with roasting racks of trussed native or broiler chickens, stuffed with lemongrass and spring onions and roasted on an open pit with ashen charcoals virtually all over the country. Tourists cannot go wrong whenever they go for any Lechon Manok stall. They are always assured of fully-cooked, truly delicious, finger-licking experience. Expect the  whole chicken to be chopped to pieces by the cook before you and served on a platter with your hot, steamed rice, that's almost always served on a wooden plate lined with a banana leaf.

common nightly sight

just about everything you would expect to see from a lechon manok stall

close up

To fully enjoy the meal though, I will encourage you to try to eat with your washed, bare hands. This is because, you will be licking the meat and juices off the bones as well as dipping your pieces on soy sauce and kalamansi.

Without further ado; here's the recipe: Preheat oven to 170 C or prepare live coals and a roasting spit. By the way, this entails a day before prep.

INGREDIENTS:

1 whole Free-range Chicken about 800 g to 1 kg.
1/2 cup salt
1/4 cup sugar or 1/4 cup Sprite
and water to cover for a brine-sugar solution. Brine for 30 minutes to 1 hour

Marinate overnight in 1/4 cup coconut vinegar and 1/4 cup kalamansi or lime juice and soy sauce. Drain. 

Then; stuff the cavity with :

3-4 stalks of lemon grass
2-3 stalks of spring onions

Truss on a spit or huge barbeque stick  and place over live coals, or place on a rack on a tray and broil in the oven for 45 minutes or until juices from the thigh run clear.

Lechon Manok Sauce:

500 g. of chicken liver ( fried )
2 medium sized onions
1/4 cup vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 T. bread crumbs
1 head garlic
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1 c. chicken stock
salt to taste 
1/2 tsp allspice powder

PROCEDURE:
1. After frying the chicken livers, place all the ingredients except allspice powder in a blender and puree.

2. Transfer contents to a  saucepan and simmer 15 minutes over medium heat until the livers are fully cooked and the sauce has thickened. Transfer to a serving bowl and let cool. Sprinkle allspice powder and stir to incorporate. You can also buy bottled lechon manok sauce to cut on prep time. Popular brands include Mang Tomas, Andok's and Barrio Fiesta.

lechon manok sauce 

PRESENTATION:

Simply lay a fire-wilted banana leaf on a serving tray, and arrange your  chopped lechon manok pieces on it. Arrange slices of kalamansi on one side and spread some  Atchara  on the other side. Serve with a lechon manok sauce, and a dipping saucer with soy sauce and slices of bird's eye chili. Enjoy!

Lechon manok