Ingredients:
• A Small/Medium Whole Raw Chicken
• 2 Sticks of Lemon Grass
• 15g Ginger
• 2 Cloves of Garlic
• 1 Shallot
• 25g Neutral Oil
• tbs Sesame Oil
• 1 tbs Brown Sugar
• 1 White Onion
• 15g Ginger (extra)
• Salt and Pepper
• Water
Method:
1. Pre-heat the oven to 200*c.
2. Wash and peel the ginger, garlic cloves and shallot.
3. Cut the end off the lemongrass and wash it.
4. Add 15g of the ginger, the lemongrass, the 2 cloves of garlic, the shallot,1tsp of salt, 1tsp of pepper and neutral oil into the food processor and blend until smooth.
5. Spoon the sauce into a bowl and mix in the sesame oil and brown sugar.
6. Line a baking tray with aluminium foil.
7. Cut the onion in half and peel it.
8. Cut the onion and the remaining 15g of ginger into slices and place it on the baking tray.
9. Place the chicken, breast side down, on the chopping board.
10. Using clean kitchen scissors or a knife cut down either side of the backbone to remove it completely.
11. Turn the chicken back over and press in-between the chicken breasts so the the chicken flattens.
12. Place the chicken on the baking tray on top of the onion and ginger.
13. Use your fingers to make pockets under the chicken breast skin and under the chicken leg skin.
14. Rub the marinade all over the chicken and into the pockets under the skin.
15. Wash your hands thoroughly and season the chicken with salt and pepper.
16. Add 1 cup of water onto the baking tray to keep the chicken moist.
17. Place the chicken in the oven for 1 hour (baste the chicken with the juices from the bottom of the tray every half an hour).
18. After the hour cover the chicken with aluminium foil and turn the oven to 180*c the cook for a further hour or until the chicken is cooked depending on the size of your chicken. (Continue to baste the chicken with the juices in the bottom of the tray every half an hour).
19. Once the chicken is cooked, remove from the oven (the chicken should reach at least 75*c in deepest part of the chicken breast and in the thigh when checking with a meat thermometer.)
20. Once the chicken is fully cooked drizzle the chicken with some oil and place it back in the oven for 15 minutes for the skin to crisp up a bit.
21. Remove it from the oven baste/brush the chicken with the juices from the tray.
22. Serve the lemongrass and ginger roasted spatchcock chicken with sides of your choice and enjoy!