Viet Herb Chicken

Gà thảo dược việt nam

Recipe by Chef Amanda Vong of Auntie Manna's

There are three main components when it comes to making any type of marinade: acid, oil, and something to add flavor like herbs and spices. During the height of Spring, there’s usually an abundance of herbs overflowing and filling out all the beds in the garden. I decided to combine my father’s grilled chicken recipe, the bounty of Viet herbs growing in our garden plot, and my training in a Thai kitchen for this marinade. To be honest, this marinade can be applied to anything but my favorite is to a Whole Chicken roasted in the oven!

Ingredients:

5-6 lbs Whole Chicken

2- 4 Scallion Bottoms

3 inches Ginger Knob, peeled

4-5 inches Smashed Lemongrass Stalk Bottoms

Marinade:

  • 2 tbsp Lemongrass

  • 1 cup / palm full Perilla Leaves

  • 1 cup / palm full Viet Balm Leaves

  • 1 cup / palm full Cilantro Stems

  • 1 tsp White Pepper

  • 1 tbsp Soy Sauce

  • 2 tbsp Fish Sauce

  • Palm Sugar Syrup

  • 1 cup Coconut Milk

  • 1 tbsp Lime Juice

  • 5 Garlic Cloves

  • 1 tsp Onion Powder

  • 1 tsp Rosemary

  • 1 tsp Oregano

  • ¼ cup Grapeseed Oil

  • For color & flavor: 1 tsp turmeric

  • Optional (if you like a kick): 2 Thai Chilis without stem

Instructions:

  1. Start by placing your whole chicken onto a pan and rubbing kosher salt all over. Place this in the fridge uncovered for about an hour.

  2. Add all of your marinade ingredients into a food processor until the herbs are chopped into fine pieces. I’ve noticed that the smaller the herbs, the stronger the flavor, and also the less likely they will burn in the oven. I place the marinade into a deli container or a bowl where a basting brush can easily be placed into it and used for the duration of baking.

  3. Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

  4. Pull your whole chicken out of the fridge and brush a base layer of the marinade onto every part of the chicken. Don’t leave a spot uncovered—get that flavor in!

  5. In the cavity of the chicken, place the scallion bottom, ginger, and lemongrass stalks in. Tip: I cut a slit into the skin of a drumstick on one side and push the end of the other drumstick into it to close the cavity of the chicken—this helps keep the steam of the scallion, ginger, and lemongrass in.

  6. Place your chicken in the oven on the top rack and set your timer to 10 minutes. This is important for a juicy and tender whole chicken if you don’t have a rotisserie! After the 10 min. timer goes off, pull the rack out, brush more marinade onto the chicken, and rotate the pan 360 degrees. Set the timer for another ten minutes and do this (3) more times. At some point, I even flip the chicken over so the bottom and top are cooked evenly.

  7. For every pound of chicken roasted at 375 degrees, I’ve followed the timeframe for 15 minutes per pound and that’s left with a crispy skin and juicy interior.

  8. I love to enjoy this roast chicken with a side of rice and vegetables or it’s a great potluck dish to bring to a party.

  9. I always save the chicken carcass to make a delicious broth so the meals keep on coming.