Method
Ingredients
Ingredients
- 1 free-range chicken, approx. 1.5kg
- 300g Tilda Basmati & Wild Rice
Marinade
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 bunch coriander, large, stems and leaves separated (use the leaves for the sauce)
- 1 tbsp light brown sugar, heaped
- 3 tbsp warm water
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp white pepper
Green Sauce
- 3 spring onions, large, white part only
- 3 garlic cloves
- 1 lime, juiced
- 1 bird’s eye chilli, green
- Groundnut oil
- Sea salt, to taste
Method
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To begin, make the marinade. Finely mince the garlic and coriander stems. Dissolve the sugar in the warm water, then combine all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, stirring to mix well.
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Rub the marinade all over the chicken and let the chicken sit in it in a large bag overnight. Turn the bag occasionally so that all sides stay coated with the marinade.
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On the day of cooking, preheat the oven to 160°C/Gas Mark 3.
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Take the chicken out of the fridge and let it come back up to room temperature. Pat with paper towels to remove the marinade and place on a roasting tray.
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Drizzle lightly with oil, place on the oven's middle rack and roast for 2 hours, basting it regularly with its own juices.
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Turn the oven up to 220°C/Gas Mark 8 and let the chicken cook for another 15-20 minutes, or until golden brown.
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While the chicken is in the oven, prepare the other elements of the dish. Wash and drain the rice. Cover with cold water and leave to soak.
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Blitz all the ingredients for the green sauce together, adding just enough oil to make a smooth runny sauce, sort of like a pesto.
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Season to taste with salt, then keep the sauce covered in the refrigerator so it doesn't lose its vibrant green.
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When the chicken is ready, remove it from the oven, lifting it from the tin onto a chopping board, and cover loosely with a foil tent.
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While the chicken is resting, drain and tip the rice into a rice cooker. Pour the chicken roasting juices into a measuring jug and top up with enough water so you have 300ml liquid altogether. Add to the rice and let the rice cooker do its magic.
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If you don't have a rice cooker, bring the rice and roast chicken juices to a boil in a saucepan, then cover and turn the heat down to the lowest setting.
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Let the rice cook, undisturbed, for about 10-15 minutes or until all the liquid has been absorbed. Turn the heat off, give the rice a stir, and put the lid back on, letting it finish cooking by steaming in the pan's residual heat, for another 5 minutes.
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When ready to serve, carve and chop the chicken into generous bite-sized pieces before serving with the rice and green sauce.
