My family loves the roasted chicken from Andok’s Litson Manok, most especially their gravy. I’ve been thinking what makes them so authentic and special. It has a taste similar to “lechon baboy” (suckling pig). And I found out that the secret is “tanglad” (lemon grass). Yes, I learned that tanglad is used in roasting lechon baboy, which makes it authentic.

A brief overview: Tanglad has been widely used as an herb in Asian and Caribbean cooking. It has a citrus flavor and can be dried and powdered, or can even be used fresh. It has various uses, e.g., in teas, soups, and curries. It is also suitable for poultry, fish, and seafood. It can be bought in wet markets and local groceries.

So, I tried it on my roasted chicken and discovered that it’s the secret of Andok’s Chicken. The taste was similar with Andok’s and of course my family enjoyed it.

Here’s my version of the recipe:

1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kilos)

¼ cup soy sauce

juice extracted from 12 pcs calamansi

1 tsp salt

½ tsp ground black pepper

freshly ground pepper

A few stems of dried tanglad

Procedure:

1. Wash the chicken thoroughly and pat dry using paper towels.

2. In a bowl, combine all the ingredients except the tanglad and freshly ground pepper.

3. Put 2/3 of the mixture and the tanglad inside the chicken’s cavity.

4. Tie the chicken legs using 1 stalk of tanglad, and tuck the wings under the chicken.

5. Brush the chicken with the remaining sauce and put freshly ground pepper all over the chicken.

6. Let it stand in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours for a more flavorful taste.

7. Put it in a baking dish and cover it with foil. Roast it in a preheated 400°F oven. Bake for 45-60 minutes, or until chicken is tender.
Tip: (from Good Housekeeping) – When done, let the chicken rest for 10 minutes before cutting. This allows the juices to be redistributed making the meat juicy.

Oh before I forget, I used the store-bought Andok’s litson sauce for the gravy.

Enjoy!

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