Mom's Pinoy Chicken

If you've not heard of the term Pinoy, it's an informal way of referring to Philippino's. In a way this recipe is very typical of the Philippines as its marinade is a typical "sawsawan" which is a sauce or dip that we eat alongside fried fish. You may find it strange to marinate chicken in fish sauce and lemon juice, but I promise you it's delicious. There's a sour tang to it that's brought to life by the depth of the fish sauce. Plus, it's just a faint hint of the intense flavours as the chicken is either dredged with flour and fried or breaded in panko and baked. Mom fries her's and it's hard to beat, but for a cleaner/healthier version I bake them with panko..it's just as crispy which is nice.. But on days where I'm feeling naughty, I'll fry!

Ingredients:

1 whole chicken cut into eighths (you can remove the skin if you're baking but why?! Crispy skin is SO DELICIOUS!)

2 lemons juiced

1 tablespoon of fish sauce

1 cup panko bread crumbs or flour

1 tablespoon melted butter (if baking) or enough canola oil to shallow fry

Method:

Mix the fish sauce and lemon juice together and coat chicken. Cover with plastic wrap overnight or at least 6 hours. Dredge in flour and fry OR mix melted butter with panko and dredge the chicken. Place on a baking rack on top of a sheet tray (so everything crisps up) and bake in a 400 degree oven for 30-40 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165.