Whole chicken dishes are some of the most satisfying to make, share, and enjoy as leftovers. As usual, we love marinating it ahead for great flavor and moisture in the final dish. In preparation for Lunar New Year, a whole chicken is considered to bring luck and “wholeness” for the coming year. Chicken is a homophone for ji (吉, meaning 'good luck' and 'prosperity'). Typically, the braised chicken is seasoned with soy sauce, wine, and ginger with spices so we use Sri Lanka and Smoked Cinnamon for our version with caramelized, roasty skin. Happy New Year!
In a blender, blend the marinade ingredients until smooth. If marinating overnight (up to 3 days), place the chicken and marinade into a resealable bag, squeezing out any excess air, to ensure the chicken stays well immersed.
When ready to cook, place the chicken flat, skin side up, into an oven safe dish and pour the marinade over.
Bake, basting every 15 minutes for 1-1/2 hours or until the chicken is cooked and tender and the skin is caramelized and crispy on the edges.
When ready, remove the chicken from the oven and carefully lift the cooked chicken out of the pan and juices to a platter to rest for 15 minutes.
Strain the remaining liquid through a fine sieve and reserve warm.
Once the chicken has had a chance to rest, carve the pieces apart and slice the breast thinly. Serve warm with the flavorful broth and have a great new year!
Recipe Note
Recipe Notes
Shaoxing rice wine can be found online and in Asian grocery stores. If it is not available, other rice wines like mirin can be used to substitute - even white wine in a pinch. The wine offers nice flavor and texture to the dish so do try to include it.
The chicken can be marinated up to 3 days in advance but will still be delicious if you need to season and cook it right away.
This dish was made with Do Good Chicken. Every once in a while, we encounter an ingredient that inspires. Our friends at Do Good are on a mission to fight climate change by rescuing food surplus (typically 40% of all food produced) and transforming it into feed for chickens they raise right back into the fresh food system. Each Do Good chicken prevents 4 pounds of food from going to landfill. This closed loop reduces carbon emissions by avoiding landfill and reducing wasted resources by renewing the surplus. Eating well can mean doing good at the same time. Check out the recipe notes below for more information on how we and Do Good can do better.
For more great information on what Do Good is doing for chicken, for the food system, and our planet check them out at DoGoodChicken.com.
