A great dish for festive gatherings
Getting together, preferably around the kitchen table, is very much part of family life in Thailand, especially during the festive holiday season and New Year celebrations.
Now olive oil brand, Bertolli, is all set to make that get-together even more special with a delightful Thai dish cooked with healthy olive oil. The recipe comes courtesy of Chef Nan Hongwiwat, from “C.I.Y. (Cook It Yourself)” and is an interesting version of a traditional celebration dish, “Roasted Chicken with Thai Herbs.”
A new generation chef passionate about blending modern and traditional Thai cuisine, he believes olive oil is great for Thai cooking, saying he’s been using it for several years. “It lowers bad cholesterol levels, and is full of healthy antioxidants, so I can feel confident when cooking for myself, my friends and family,” he said.
Juicy Roasted Chicken with Fragrant Thai Herbs
(Serves 4–5)
Ingredients:
1 full chicken (weight 1.5-2.0 kg.)
3 stalks of lemongrass
4 kaffir lime leaves
1 head of garlic
4 red shallots
Salt (to taste)
Black pepper (to taste)
Side Dishes: Jaew sauce, Sticky rice, Fresh vegetables
Marinade ingredients for chicken:
4 tablespoons of Bertolli Classico Olive Oil
2 coriander roots
1 tablespoon of garlic, cut finely
1 teaspoon of black pepper
1 teaspoon of salt
3 tablespoon of fish sauce
2 tablespoons of palm sugar
Method
1. Prepare the marinade by pounding the coriander roots, garlic and black pepper together. Put in a bowl, add salt, fish sauce, palm sugar and Bertolli Classico Olive Oil and stir together.
2. Clean the chicken and turn on the oven to 200C. Rub salt and black pepper inside the full chicken. Then, stuff the chicken with lemongrass stalks, kaffir lime, garlic and red shallots. Tie the chicken legs together for cooking. Rub the marinade over the chicken, keeping three table spoons of marinade aside, to baste the chicken while cooking.
3. Place the chicken on an oven dish with a rack, and add 1 cup of water into the oven dish below the rack. Put the full chicken into the oven for 45 min, or until the chicken is fully cooked. For an extra crispy result, while the chicken is roasting, every 15 minutes baste the chicken with the remaining marinade using a pastry brush.
4. Once the chicken is cooked, wrap it with aluminium foil and leave it for 10 min. Then, serve the Juicy Roasted Chicken with Fragrant Thai Herbs with its side dishes; fresh vegetable, sticky rice and Jaew sauce.
