Preparation time
over 2 hours
Cooking time
1 to 2 hours
Serves
Serves 4
From Saturday Kitchen
Ingredients
For the ginger chicken
- 6 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tbsp minced fresh root ginger
- 6 tbsp gochujang paste
- 250ml/9fl oz ginger beer
- 2 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 1.5kg/3lb 5oz whole chicken
For the chilli dressing
- 50g/1¾oz gochujang paste
- 4 tbsp runny honey
- 2 tbsp sake
- 4 tbsp mirin
- 4 tbsp rice wine vinegar
For the spiced aubergine
- 1 aubergine, cut into batons
- 2 free-range eggs, beaten
- 200g/7oz potato starch (or potato flour)
- 1 tbsp garlic salt
- 1 tbsp baking powder
- salt
- 1 red chilli, chopped, to garnish
- 1 green chilli, chopped, to garnish
- 2 spring onions, chopped, to garnish
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted, to garnish
- 1 tbsp Sichuan peppercorns, toasted and crushed, to garnish
- 1 tbsp coriander seeds, toasted and crushed, to garnish
For the apple slaw
- 2 green apples, cored and julienned
- ½ white cabbage, finely sliced
- 4 spring onions, finely sliced
- ½ cucumber, julienned
- 1 lime, juice only
- ½ grapefruit, peeled and segmented
- 50ml/2fl oz soy sauce
- salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method
To make the chicken, mix the garlic, ginger, gochujang, ginger beer, honey and soy in a bowl. Pour the ginger marinade all over the chicken and leave to marinate for a few hours before roasting.
Preheat the oven to 200C/180C Fan/Gas 6. Roast the chicken for 1–1½ hours, checking it does not brown too much and covering with foil if necessary. The chicken is completely cooked through when the juices run clear with no trace of pink when the thickest part of the leg, between the drumstick and the thigh, is pierced with a skewer. Leave to rest for at least 10 minutes.
To make the chilli dressing, place all the ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to the boil. Cook until thickened and keep warm, ready to brush on the aubergines.
To make the spiced aubergine, preheat a deep fat fryer to 180C. (CAUTION: hot oil can be dangerous. Do not leave unattended.) Season the aubergine with salt and place the egg in a wide bowl. Mix the potato starch, garlic salt and baking powder together in a wide bowl. Dip the aubergine into the egg and then into potato starch mixture. Deep fry until golden and then transfer to kitchen paper to drain. Brush with the chilli dressing while still warm and sprinkle over the garnishes.
To make the apple slaw, mix all the ingredients together in a bowl and season with salt and pepper.
Carve the chicken and serve with the spiced aubergine and slaw.