Grilled five-spice chicken
Instructions:
- 1 (2 1/2 pound) whole chicken, preferably free range, rinsed
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons minced ginger
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 2 teaspoons ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
- 1/2 tablespoon sea salt
- 4 whole star anise, lightly toasted in a dry pan for 3 minutes, pounded or ground into a fine powder
- 1/2 cup Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce (recipe follows)
- Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce
- 1/2 clove garlic
- 1 fresh Thai bird chile
- 1 1/4 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/6 cup soy sauce, preferably Chinese style
- 1 1/4 tablespoons fresh lime juice with pulp
- 1/8 cup water, or to taste
- Cut the chicken into 6 pieces and make 1 or 2 slashes in each piece for faster cooking. Trim and discard any excess fat.
- Pat the chicken dry
- .In a bowl, combine the oil, soy sauce, ginger, garlic, sugar, turmeric, five-spice powder and salt. Stir well to blend.
- Add the chicken pieces and turn several times to coat them evenly.
- Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.
- Start a charcoal grill or preheat a gas grill to moderate heat. (You can also use a broiler.)
- Thirty minutes before cooking, add the freshly toasted star anise powder to the marinated chicken, turning so the meat is coated evenly.
- Place the chicken, skin side up, on the grill.
- Cook 10 minutes, then turn over and grill until the chicken is cooked and the juices run clear, another 10 minutes, depending on the thickness.
- While grilling, move the chicken pieces around so that they cook evenly.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the dipping sauce
- Soy-Lime Dipping Sauce
- Place the garlic, chile and sugar in a mortar and pound into a paste. (You can also chop the garlic and chile by hand.)
- Transfer to a small bowl and add the soy sauce, lime juice and water.
- Stir until well blended.
- This sauce will keep up to 3 weeks if stored in the refrigerator in a tight-lidded jar.