serves
6
prep
15 minutes
cook
15 minutes
difficulty
Easy
serves
6
people
preparation
15
minutes
cooking
15
minutes
difficulty
Easy
level
Ingredients
- 6 chicken leg quarters
Annatto oil
- 150 ml (5 fl oz) vegetable oil
- 50 g (1¾ oz) annatto (atchuete) seeds
- 5 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 bay leaf
Marinade sauce
- 5 cloves garlic, crushed
- 90 ml (3 fl oz) calamansi or lime juice
- 3 lemongrass stems, crushed
- 50 ml (1¾ fl oz) sugarcane vinegar
- 1½ tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 1½ tbsp salt and pepper
- 90 ml (3 fl oz) annatto oil
Marinating time 12 hours
You will need to begin this recipe 1 day in advance.
Instructions
First up, prepare the annatto oil. Heat the oil in a saucepan over medium heat and add the annatto seeds, garlic and bay leaf. Turn off the heat when it starts to bubble. Allow the oil to sit for 2 hours and cool down. Store in an airtight container.
Mix all the marinade ingredients together thoroughly and set aside. Prepare the chicken by cutting the leg quarters into pieces around 5 cm (2 in) x 5 cm (2 in). Combine half the marinade with the chicken pieces in a container, cover and marinate for 12 hours in the refrigerator.
Place the other half of the marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a gentle boil for 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and set aside for the basting sauce.
Take the marinated chicken out of the refrigerator and thread 3–4 pieces on each skewer.
Cook over a charcoal barbecue or grill, regularly basting with the remaining marinade. Baste generously again just before serving.
This is an edited extract from Food Safari Fire (Hardie Grant, hbk, $55), by Maeve O’Meara, with photography by Alan Benson.
Cook's Notes
Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.
