Chicken Inasal

I am not the type of doctor who will ever admit to eating grilled stuff, at least in public. I used to love them when I was a kid, so much so that our convoy to Baguio every summer would always stop two or three times during the journey just so we could buy barbecue. And yes, there was even that time when people thought grilling is *the healthiest way of cooking.* You do avoid adding oil (and burn whatever is contained in the meat), but the burnt bits are exactly what will give you cancer.

Well, I've been BBQ-free for almost two years now, so I thought one small meal washed down with copious amounts of freshly brewed tea won't hurt. Excuses, excuses, excuses...

I was inspired to make "inasal" because my parents bought some last Saturday from the Salcedo market. I had known for a long time that it is relatively easy to make, owing to the short list of ingredients. Also, I found inasal interesting in its use of achuete (anatto seeds) and vinegar. I thought it was similar to what the Mexicans call as 'adobo seasoning' which is a paste made of ground anatto seeds and vinegar. However, the Mexicans use it as a spice, and we only care for its color. Perhaps, chicken inasal is a product of the Mexican galleon trade that boomed during the Spanish colonial period.



To make the marinade, I started with a rounded tablespoon of anatto seeds. I wish I had a spice grinder so I could have turned them into powder but I only had a mortar and pestle. Anyway, I tried to grind the seeds as finely as I could.





Then, over low to medium-low flame, I steeped 1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil with the ground anatto for 5 minutes.

I really think a more finely-ground anatto whould have given a stronger flavor.



There seems to be a consensus on the marinade for chicken inasal: search the web and you will find several recipes that are eerily alike in the proportion of ingredients! I found what seemed like a good recipe here.

However, I wanted to add my own touch. Besides, I did not have native vinegar and lemon grass. The inasal my parents bought tasted a bit vinegary - but closer to the taste of blasamic vinegar.

So I combined the colored oil with the following ingredients: one head of crushed garlic, one thumb-size piece of crushed ginger, one grated onion, half a teaspoon each of salt and pepper, one tablespoon brown sugar, 1/2 cup rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, and two tablespoons lemon juice. I substituted two Kaffir lime leaves from my mom's garden for the lemon grass.

I know all those recipes say that marination takes a maximum of one hour, but I wanted all the flavor to penetrate the deepest tissues of the chicken. Hence, I let the one kilo of chicken pieces marinate overnight in the refrigerator. (Besides, long marination in acid kills the meat tissue parasites)

The following day, I lay the chicken pieces on a rack and set it on a tray. I baked them for 25 minutes in a 325-degree oven, just until the thickest portions yield clear juice. Then I asked our housecook to grill them lightly for color. Baking avoids grilling them for too long that inevitably leads to burnt spots. Just compare the pics of my inasal with those from the net - they have much less black spots, which in my case are confined only to the skin.

My inasal came out perfect. Although for most of you, I think another half teaspoon of salt would need to be added.



Our housecook added some sliced pork belly to the marinade as well, and it tasted really good, too!