Grilled five-spice chicken

Recipe Categories : | Vietnamese | Chicken | Main Index |

  Ingredients :

• 2 small chickens, about 2 lb each
  For Marinade:
• 1 piece fresh ginger, about 1 inch long, peeled and grated
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 ½ tbsp brown sugar
• ½ tspn salt
• ¼ tspn freshly ground pepper
• ½ tspn five spice powder
• 2 tbsp Vietnamese or Thai fish sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dry sherry
• fish sauce and lime dipping sauce ~ see recipe

Preparation and Cooking Instructions

1. Cut each chicken in half through the breast and backbone. Using your palms, press down on the breasts to flatten the halves slightly.
2. For marinade : Combine the ginger, garlic, shallots, brown sugar and salt in a mortar, blender or mini food processor. Mash with a pestle or process to a smooth paste. Transfer to a large shallow bowl. Add the pepper, five-spice powder, fish sauce, soy sauce and sherry and stir to mix well. Add the chicken halves and turn to coat thoroughly with the marinade. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for a few hours or as long as overnight.
3. Prepare the dipping sauce; set aside.
4. Prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. When the coals are ash white, place the chicken halves, bone side down, on the grill rack about 4 inches above the coals and grill for 20 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue to grill until thoroughly cooked and golden brown with nice grill marks, about 20 minutes longer.
5. Serve hot with the dipping sauce.