My Chicken Inasal Craving
It just occurred to me, while I was doing an errand to buy tomatoes and cream in the nearby grocery store, that recollections of flavorful and delicious chicken barbecue popped in my mind. This happened, while I was staring at the fresh whole chickens displayed on one of the grocery chillers. Hastily, I took one whole chicken together with the tomatoes and cream and headed straight to the counter before I get sneaked by a hurrying Arab.
Being in a Muslim country, where certain food items like alcohol and pork are regulated for religious reasons - we Filipinos tend to shift our food preferences to food that are readily available from major food sources like lamb, mutton, beef, seafood and poultry. Chicken, being the most affordable item to buy appears to be a regular favorite. Many dishes can be made from Chicken - like the ever famous adobo, fried chicken, chicken afritada, curry etc.
Among the many chicken recipes, barbecued chicken is one of my favorite with fried chicken being on the top list. Most of my privileged friends ( privileged in a sense that they get to taste my culinary creations ) flatter me by saying that I make one of the best fried chickens that they have ever tasted. It is delicious indeed, maybe because of the process it had to go through before it gets to be fried in deep hot oil. Nevertheless, chicken barbecue still catches my fancy.
What is the difference anyway between a Chicken Inasal and Chicken Barbecue? At an initial impression, I took the notion that the latter was named Inasal lending to its generous use of salt and spices as a marinade while chicken barbecue different because of its dominant sweet and salty taste. Later did I find out, that Inasal actually means "grilled" or "barbecued" in Visayan.
Inasal traces back its origins in Bacolod City, Negros Oriental. People there call it Inasal simply to mean barbecued chicken in their own vernacular. It is different because unlike the regular barbecue that largely depends on the sauce to make it flavorful, Inasal is just plain and simple orange colored chicken that requires a dipping sauce consisting of freshly squeezed lime, soy sauce and two to three pieces of mashed finger chili. It is through this amazing simplicity that the chicken can be appreciated of its natural flavor. It is also distinct, because the original Inasal is made out of backyard grown and freshly plucked native chickens and not from genetically raised poultry . Though obviously at present, most Inasals are made from poultry raised chicken.
In Zamboanga, there are many foodservice establishments that sell Chicken Inasal. Manang Terry's Chicken Inato in Canelar is my favorite. Well, mainly because it is affordable and secondly, because of its taste. It is not to salty nor sweet with just the right balance in the marinade. It is neither orange ( orange because of the food color or annato seeds) but rather burnt. Secondly, is that of Alejandras. I don't know if it is Inasal or just plain barbecue but it just tastes damn good. My recent try last year, to my dismay turned out to be a disaster since the overall taste of the chicken was completely altered. My expectations dropped and I promised never to order it again. Last would be that of Mano Mano na Greenfield of course, which I may suggest is a cross between that of Manang Terry's and the original Alejandra's recipe. No wonder, it is one of their bestsellers.
So here it is, my attempt to make a wonderful Chicken Inasal. This recipe is a result of mere intuition resulting from years of passionate romance with food. First, I took the fresh chicken and cut it in quarters. Legs-thighs and Breast-wings. It makes up four large cuts similar with those served in Inasal restaurants. The marinade consisted of annato oil, sprite, patis, salt, soy sauce, lemon juice, monosodium glutamate, salt, pepper, sugar , grated ginger, onions, garlic and chopped lemon grass. I allowed the juices and the flavors to infuse for an hour . Afterward, I strained the mixture in a fine sieve and poured it into the cut up chicken pieces. I kept it overnight inside the chiller for the chicken to absorb the flavors present in the marinade.
The following day, It was now ready for grilling. Since we didn't have a charcoal type griller in our kitchen, I grilled it on a griddle instead. I was already expecting it not to taste that good as compared to inasal that has been charcoal grilled. The quality of smoke produced during grilling imparts an overall aroma and taste to the barbecued item. While grilling, I basted it with the remaining marinade at several intervals also making sure that the chicken is cooked on both sides. If I just had enough time, I would have simmered the chicken first with the marinade for a few minutes and allowed it to cool before grilllng. Employing that process, would spare the chicken the tendency of it being raw on the inside while allowing the flavors to settle deep within the meat.
While the Inasal was sitting on the griller, I also prepared a side salad to go with it. Since atchara or pickled vegetables is not available, I decided to make a Thai salad consisting of those ingredients present in the pantry. I combined sliced cucumbers, julienned onions,chillies, carrots, ginger and tossed it with lime and fish sauce dressing.
After a few minutes, the chicken was now ready for serving. I took it from the griller and laid it on the serving plate and garnished it with slices of tomatoes and lemon. I took a few portions of the salad and placed it next to the chicken with a cup of fragrant steamed rice on the side. I was so excited. I want to check if it fairs with those Inasals I have tasted. As always, the result was spectacular. Salty and a bit sweet with a tinge of aroma brought about by the infused aromatic herbs and spices. It was similar but way better than Manang Terry's. With the side salad, the overall taste was exceptional. What a fulfilling day for me. I am looking forward to more culinary attempts in the coming days. Bon Apetit!
Being in a Muslim country, where certain food items like alcohol and pork are regulated for religious reasons - we Filipinos tend to shift our food preferences to food that are readily available from major food sources like lamb, mutton, beef, seafood and poultry. Chicken, being the most affordable item to buy appears to be a regular favorite. Many dishes can be made from Chicken - like the ever famous adobo, fried chicken, chicken afritada, curry etc.
Among the many chicken recipes, barbecued chicken is one of my favorite with fried chicken being on the top list. Most of my privileged friends ( privileged in a sense that they get to taste my culinary creations ) flatter me by saying that I make one of the best fried chickens that they have ever tasted. It is delicious indeed, maybe because of the process it had to go through before it gets to be fried in deep hot oil. Nevertheless, chicken barbecue still catches my fancy.
What is the difference anyway between a Chicken Inasal and Chicken Barbecue? At an initial impression, I took the notion that the latter was named Inasal lending to its generous use of salt and spices as a marinade while chicken barbecue different because of its dominant sweet and salty taste. Later did I find out, that Inasal actually means "grilled" or "barbecued" in Visayan.
Inasal traces back its origins in Bacolod City, Negros Oriental. People there call it Inasal simply to mean barbecued chicken in their own vernacular. It is different because unlike the regular barbecue that largely depends on the sauce to make it flavorful, Inasal is just plain and simple orange colored chicken that requires a dipping sauce consisting of freshly squeezed lime, soy sauce and two to three pieces of mashed finger chili. It is through this amazing simplicity that the chicken can be appreciated of its natural flavor. It is also distinct, because the original Inasal is made out of backyard grown and freshly plucked native chickens and not from genetically raised poultry . Though obviously at present, most Inasals are made from poultry raised chicken.
In Zamboanga, there are many foodservice establishments that sell Chicken Inasal. Manang Terry's Chicken Inato in Canelar is my favorite. Well, mainly because it is affordable and secondly, because of its taste. It is not to salty nor sweet with just the right balance in the marinade. It is neither orange ( orange because of the food color or annato seeds) but rather burnt. Secondly, is that of Alejandras. I don't know if it is Inasal or just plain barbecue but it just tastes damn good. My recent try last year, to my dismay turned out to be a disaster since the overall taste of the chicken was completely altered. My expectations dropped and I promised never to order it again. Last would be that of Mano Mano na Greenfield of course, which I may suggest is a cross between that of Manang Terry's and the original Alejandra's recipe. No wonder, it is one of their bestsellers.
So here it is, my attempt to make a wonderful Chicken Inasal. This recipe is a result of mere intuition resulting from years of passionate romance with food. First, I took the fresh chicken and cut it in quarters. Legs-thighs and Breast-wings. It makes up four large cuts similar with those served in Inasal restaurants. The marinade consisted of annato oil, sprite, patis, salt, soy sauce, lemon juice, monosodium glutamate, salt, pepper, sugar , grated ginger, onions, garlic and chopped lemon grass. I allowed the juices and the flavors to infuse for an hour . Afterward, I strained the mixture in a fine sieve and poured it into the cut up chicken pieces. I kept it overnight inside the chiller for the chicken to absorb the flavors present in the marinade.
The following day, It was now ready for grilling. Since we didn't have a charcoal type griller in our kitchen, I grilled it on a griddle instead. I was already expecting it not to taste that good as compared to inasal that has been charcoal grilled. The quality of smoke produced during grilling imparts an overall aroma and taste to the barbecued item. While grilling, I basted it with the remaining marinade at several intervals also making sure that the chicken is cooked on both sides. If I just had enough time, I would have simmered the chicken first with the marinade for a few minutes and allowed it to cool before grilllng. Employing that process, would spare the chicken the tendency of it being raw on the inside while allowing the flavors to settle deep within the meat.
While the Inasal was sitting on the griller, I also prepared a side salad to go with it. Since atchara or pickled vegetables is not available, I decided to make a Thai salad consisting of those ingredients present in the pantry. I combined sliced cucumbers, julienned onions,chillies, carrots, ginger and tossed it with lime and fish sauce dressing.
After a few minutes, the chicken was now ready for serving. I took it from the griller and laid it on the serving plate and garnished it with slices of tomatoes and lemon. I took a few portions of the salad and placed it next to the chicken with a cup of fragrant steamed rice on the side. I was so excited. I want to check if it fairs with those Inasals I have tasted. As always, the result was spectacular. Salty and a bit sweet with a tinge of aroma brought about by the infused aromatic herbs and spices. It was similar but way better than Manang Terry's. With the side salad, the overall taste was exceptional. What a fulfilling day for me. I am looking forward to more culinary attempts in the coming days. Bon Apetit!
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