Sinangag Stuffed Chicken Inasal

Ingredients:

Chicken:
1 kilo whole chicken
2 tablespoons garlic, minced
2 tablespoons ginger, minced
¾ cup lemongrass, chopped
1 cup coconut vinegar
½ cup calamansi juice
1 tablespoon salt
¼ cup brown sugar
½ tablespoon ground black pepper

Filling:
2 tablespoons atsuete oil
1 whole garlic, minced
1 1/2 cup cooked rice (half malagkit and half dinorado)
1/2 tablespoon soy sauce
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 bunch lemon grass, knotted

Basting Sauce:
3 tablespoons atsuete oil
½ cup butter, softened
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon calamansi juice

Procedure:

Chicken:
1. Clean the cavity by removing the liver, heart, neck, and gizzard. Feel for the bones on the back. Using a paring knife, slice right above the bone, careful not to puncture the skin. Tear away ligaments and meat near the bone by slicing carefully or using your hands until you are able to release the back bones. Do the same for the breast bones. Do not include the wing and leg bones and cut the ligaments holding these bones to keep them intact.
2. Place the chicken on a bowl and marinade with the ingredients for 3 hours.

Filling:
1. Heat the oil in a pan. Saute garlic until golden.
2. Add the rice and the atsuete oil. Mix and season with soy sauce, salt, and pepper. Let it cool.

Assembly:
1. Place the chicken on a baking dish and stuff the cavity with the knotted lemon grass. After so, fill the inside with the rice.
2. Tie the legs together and sew the opening with a trussing needle and thread. Use the blanket stitch for a clean look.
3. Mix the basting sauce ingredients in a bowl. cover the chicken from top to bottom using a basting brush.
4. Cover with a foil and bake for 220 degrees C for the first 15 minutes. Remove the foil, lower the heat to 175 degrees C and baste every 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked. Serve hot.