Rice Cooker Whole 'Roast' Chicken Recipe

step 1

• STEP 1.1 cut the extra fat off a 1 kg whole chicken and put it in a bowl in the fridge for later use.

step 2

• STEP 2.2 tie the legs together with kitchen string.

step 3

• STEP 3.3 flip the chicken over, bend the wings and tuck it behind the back.

step 4

• STEP 4.1 for the marinade, in a large mixing bowl add ½ cup soy sauce, 1 tbsp dark soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp rice wine, 2 tbsp brown sugar, 1 star anise, 1 cinnamon, 2 bay leaf, 1 tsp sichuan peppercorn.

step 5

• STEP 5.2 to this add ½ medium size onion chopped, 1 inch ginger crushed, 8 cloves of garlic crushed. Stir well to mix and dissolve the sugar.

step 6

• STEP 6.3 smash 2 stalks of scallion and stuff it in the cavity of the chicken.

step 7

• STEP 7.4 place the chicken in a sealable bag and pour in the marinade.

step 8

• STEP 8.5 place it in a vessel of water to push out all the air and seal the bag.

step 9

• STEP 9.6 place it in the refrigerator breast side down. Leave it to marinate overnight.

step 10

• STEP 10.7 the next day empty the contents of the packet into a bowl. Take the chicken out of the marinade. Keep the marinade liquid aside for later use.

step 11

• STEP 11.8 in the rice cooker, add the chopped chicken fat and cover the cooker. Let it cook for a few minutes. When the chicken bits are golden and have rendered the fat into the pot, take them out.

step 12

• STEP 12.9 place the chicken in the pot, switch it on to ‘cook’ and brown on one side for a few minutes till golden.

step 13

• STEP 13.10 turn it over and let it brown on the other side as well as on the sides of the chicken. Use the string and a fork to turn it over.

step 14

• STEP 14.11 once all the surfaces are adequately browned, pour in the marinade sauce along with all the aromatics.

step 15

• STEP 15.12 add 1 to 2 cups of water depending on each rice cooker. If unsure, first add a small amount of water.

step 16

• STEP 16.13 cover and cook for 50 minutes to 1 hour. A bigger chicken will take longer to cook.

step 17

• STEP 17.14 every 15 minutes flip the chicken to ensure that it gets an even colour. If the sauce becomes too thick, add a little water.

step 18

• STEP 18.15 after an hour of cooking, the sauce will be thick and the chicken cooked through. Remove it from the pot and place it on the cutting board. Remove the scallions from the cavity.

step 19

• STEP 19.16 use scissors to cut out the back bone. Flip the chicken over and follow the centre line to cut the chicken in half. Cut off the legs and the wings.

step 20

• STEP 20.17 chop each piece into thick sections through the bone.

step 21

• STEP 21.18 strain the sauce from the rice cooker into a bowl. It will be salty. Dilute it with a little water. Spoon some of the sauce over the chicken.

step 22

• STEP 22.19 serve with white rice and baby bok choy.