Char-grilled Chicken

Ingredients

1 medium size free range chicken, butterflied (ask your butcher to do this)
100g white sugar
1 Tbs fish sauce
1 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs oyster sauce
1 tsp white peppercorns, crushed
3 sticks lemongrass, bruised and bottom chopped. Keep the top parts.
2 birds eye chillies, chopped
1 Tbs Chinese rice wine

For chopping board:

2 Tbs Vietnamese mint
2 Tbs coriander leaves
1 red chilli, sliced
1 lime, cut in half

Method

In a mortar and pestle, pound the sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, pepper, bottoms of lemongrass, chilli and the rice wine to make a marinade paste.

Score all over the chicken down to the bone to allow for even cooking and permeation of the marinade flavours. Rub marinade into the chicken and leave overnight if possible.

To cook chicken, take tops of lemongrass and tie tops with butcher's twine to form a brush.

Heat barbeque to medium heat and brush chicken with oil using lemongrass brush.

Place chicken on the barbeque and seal. Turn temperature down to a low heat and cook, with the hood closed, until the chicken is cooked through. Brush with more marinade about every 5 minutes and turn as needed - approximately 30 minutes.

To serve:

While chicken is on barbeque, chop fresh herbs, ginger, chilli and spread out on the chopping board.

When chicken is cooked, remove from the barbeque and place on the wooden chopping board. Cut into pieces. Rub with the chopped herbs and squeeze over lime. Serve on the cutting board.

Recipe by Chef Kelly Lord

Credits: 'Hot Plate; Asian Inspired Barbecue' by Spirit House