Lechon Manok

This is one of my experiment last Christmas. It turned well actually. The chicken had a lot of flavour and was juicy. Although I thought there should be less molasses (black treacle) to reduce the darkness and richness of the marinade so it is reflected in the recipe below. I adapted this from my ancient Maya Cookbook. The cover has been ripped off and is currently missing so I don't really know the actual name of the book. But it has served me well (like my old Nora Daza cookbook) as a reference.


Lechon Manok
(Filipino-style Roasted Chicken)

*Marinade
2 Tbsp lemon or calamansi juice
1/4 cup patis
2 Tbsp sea salt
2 Tbsp liquid seasoning (Maggi or Knorr)
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 Tbsp molasses or black treacle

1 whole chicken

1. Combine all the marinade except the molasses. Taste the marinade, it should have the right balance between sourness and saltiness. Adjust according to your taste. Add in the molasses and mix well.
2. Marinate the chicken for at least 2 hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 160°C/fan 140°C/325°F. Roast chicken for 30 minutes then increase temperature to 180°C/fan 160°C/350°F for an hour or until juices coming out of pierced thigh is clear. *OR* Grill in charcoal barbecue for maximum flavour.