Roast Chicken is a very popular “dinner in an instant” here in North America. All supermarkets have their own special mix blend that they flavor the chicken with. You can’t help but stop and look at them neatly arranged and turn simultaneously on the rotisserie. But, there are also times when you want something familiar-tasting and it’s just a sight to behold when you see only one whole chicken taking the center stage inside the oven instead of a crowd.
Instead of the usual stuffing, the addition of lemongrass made it more aromatic while roasting. I also marinated the chicken with some lemon and soy sauce to give it more depth of flavor. The addition of eggplants give some sweetness to this dish.
Easy Roast Chicken (Filipino Style)
Roast Chicken is a very popular “dinner in an instant” here in North America. All supermarkets have their own special mix blend that they flavor the chicken with. Here is simply our Filipino-style version.
Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken about 3 lbs
- juice of 1 lemon
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- ground black pepper
- 2 to 3 lemongrass stalks bruised (use only the bottom 5” of the stalks)
- 1 whole garlic cut in half horizontally
- 3 Potatoes quartered
- 2 medium onions quartered
- 3 Asian eggplants* cut into 2” chunks
- 2 Tbsps olive oil for brushing the chicken and coating the vegetables
- Salt and black pepper for tying the chicken
- Kitchen twine
Instructions
- Clean the chicken and place in a gallon size ziploc or a food container big enough to hold the chicken. Combine the lemon juice and soy sauce and pour over the chicken. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn chicken halfway to marinate evenly.
- Preheat the oven to 425 F.
- Drain and discard the marinade. Place the lemongrass and garlic inside the chicken cavity. Tuck the chicken wings under the body and tie the legs together with a kitchen twine. Brush the outside of the chicken with a little olive oil ( abt 1 tbsp ).
- Put potatoes and onions in a roasting pan. Drizzle with olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. Arrange the vegetables in the middle of the pan and position the chicken on top of the vegetables.
- Drizzle the eggplants with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Set aside and add after the first 30 minutes of cooking time so it won’t overcook.
- Roast for 1 hr 15 minutes to 1.5 until the juices run clear when you stick a knife in the inner part of the thigh. Remember to add the eggplants.
- Cover loosely with foil for 10 minutes before serving.
Notes
*** Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 F when a meat or an instant-read thermometer is inserted in the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.
*** Resting the chicken for a few minutes after roasting lets the juices redistribute so the chicken is moist when carved.
[…] Both cuisines use fish sauce and in some Filipino dishes, lemongrass is commonly used like in our Easy Roast Chicken and the mouthwatering Lechon […]