Roast Chicken with Tom Yum herbs

Hello! It's good to be back after 2 weeks away! I was in Tokyo for a holiday in mid September and was so busy with baking before and after my trip that I didn't get a chance to write a post.

This was my first trip to the Land of the Rising Sun and like friends predicted, I love the place! The shopping, food and culture was amazing. I had the freshest sushi for breakfast at Tsukiji Fish market, spent around 2 hours in Kappabashi looking for baking tins that are not available in Singapore, saw the beauty of Mt Fuji......... I could go on and on.... Here are some of the pictures from my trip. I would love to return to Japan in the near future.

 Today I thought I would share with you on my favourite dish to make when I am entertaining guests.  Usually when I am entertaining guests at home, I love to make roast chicken as I can make it in advance and there's not much to clean up and I can be all dressed up in time to meet my guests when they arrive. I just have to prepare a salad, bread and a dessert for the sides and I am all ready!

Roast Chicken with Tom Yum herbs

1 chicken (half kg)
2-3 stalks lemongrass
a handful of kaffer lime leaves
1 inch thick galangal
salt and pepper
3 tbsp soften butter
2-3 russet potatoes
2 carrots
1 white onions

1) Wash and cut the lemongrass and galangal into smaller pieces. Put them and lime leaves and the soften butter into a food processor or mini chopper. Mix and chop them up into a paste.

2) Rub some salt and pepper all over the chicken. Rub the paste all over the chicken, under the skin and stuff some paste into the cavity of the chicken and put the remainder on top of the chicken. Leave the chicken in the fridge for at least half hour to marinate. You can make this the night before if you like.

3) Cut the potatoes, carrots and white onions into chunks. Lay them on a baking tray. Take the chicken out of the fridge and put it on top of the vegetables. Cover with foil and pre-heat the oven at 200 deg C.

4) Roast the chicken for about 40 minutes, turn the chicken over after 20 mins. Remove the foil and baked at 220 deg C for another 20 - 30 mins so that the chicken can brown nicely. Use a skewer/chopstick to prick the chicken, if there are no pink juices , the chicken is cooked.

5) Serve with a salad and some bread for a full meal.