Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Filipino Chicken Piyanggang
菲律賓黑椰香烤雞 Piyanggang
Recipe overview
A Tausug chicken dish: deeply toasted coconut darkens the coconut gravy before the cooked chicken is lightly charred.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 800 g bone-in chicken thighs
- 80 g unsweetened grated coconut
- 250 ml coconut milk
- 1 medium onion
- 4 cloves garlic
- 20 g ginger
- 1 stalk lemongrass
- 100 ml water
Seasoning
- 1 tsp ground turmeric
- 1 small chopped red chilli
- 1 tbsp cooking oil
- 1 tsp salt
02
Tools
- heavy frying pan
- blender
- spatula
- lidded pot
- oven grill tray
- food thermometer
03
Steps
Step 1
Toast the coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes
Toast the coconut in a dry pan over medium-low heat for about 5 minutes until deep brown, stirring often; do not burn it to ash.
Step 2
Grind the toasted coconut to a fine dark paste and reserve it for the sauce
Grind the toasted coconut to a fine dark paste and reserve it for the sauce.
Step 3
Pat the chicken dry and loosen the skin near the thickest part
Pat the chicken dry and loosen the skin near the thickest part so heat reaches the meat evenly.
Step 4
Finely chop the onion
Finely chop the onion, garlic and ginger; bruise and cut the lemongrass.
Step 5
Heat the oil and soften the onion
Heat the oil and soften the onion, garlic, ginger and lemongrass for about 3 minutes.
Step 6
Add turmeric
Add turmeric, chilli and dark coconut paste; stir for 1 minute to release the aroma.
Step 7
Add the chicken and turn it until evenly coated with the spice mixture
Add the chicken and turn it until evenly coated with the spice mixture.
Step 8
Pour in coconut milk and water
Pour in coconut milk and water; bring to a simmer, cover and cook gently for 25 minutes.
Step 9
Check the thickest chicken meat reaches 74°C
Check the thickest chicken meat reaches 74°C; if not, simmer longer and check again.
Step 10
Lift out the chicken
Lift out the chicken; reduce the sauce uncovered for about 5 minutes and stir in the salt.
Step 11
Place chicken skin-side up under the oven grill for about 5 minutes
Place chicken skin-side up under the oven grill for about 5 minutes until lightly charred, not dry.
Step 12
Rest the chicken for 3 minutes
Rest the chicken for 3 minutes, spoon over the dark coconut sauce and serve hot.
Common mistakes
- Burning coconut to bitter ash
- Serving chicken below 74°C
- Boiling coconut milk so hard it splits
Tips
Toast coconut deep brown, not charcoal black; grilling is for colour, while the thermometer confirms doneness.
