Adam Liaw's Shandong Roast Chicken

Shandong chicken is usually made with a crispy-skinned deep-fried chicken, but poaching, drying and then deep-frying a chicken at home is no mean feat – and it would be a shame to only have the delicious flavour of Shandong chicken when you were prepared to jump through all those culinary hoops. This roast chicken version is much simpler, and it’s a staple in our home.

PREPARATION 20 MINUTES + OVERNIGHT MARINATING

COOKING 1 HOUR + 15 MINUTES RESTING

SERVES 6–8 AS PART OF A SHARED MEAL

• 1.6 kg whole free-range chicken

• ½ teaspoon salt

• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce

• 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine

• 2 teaspoons grated fresh ginger, juice only

• 1 teaspoon sugar

• 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

SHANDONG SAUCE

• ¼ cup (60 ml) black vinegar

• 2 teaspoons soy sauce

• 2 teaspoons sugar

• 2 red bird’s eye chillies, sliced

• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

• 1 whole coriander stalk, stem and root finely chopped, leaves reserved

METHOD:

1. Rub the chicken all over with the salt, inside and out.

2. In a small bowl, combine the soy sauce, shaoxing wine, ginger juice and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Rub the mixture all over the chicken, then marinate uncovered in the fridge overnight.

3. When ready to start cooking, heat your oven to 200°C. Brush the chicken all over with the oil, place in a roasting tin and roast for 1 hour.

4. Remove from the oven and rest for 15 minutes.

5. For the Shandong sauce, combine all the ingredients except the coriander leaves in a small bowl, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Stir in a few spoonfuls of the rendered chicken fat from the pan.

6. Cut the chicken into pieces and serve smothered in the Shandong sauce and scattered with the reserved coriander leaves.

This is an edited extract from Destination Flavour by Adam Liaw published by Hardie Grant Books RRP $50 and is available in stores nationally.