How to Make Clay-Baked Chicken Wrapped in Foil, Fragrant, Unique, and Delicious

How to prepare Clay Baked Chicken with Foil

• 1

  Prepare the chicken

  First, wash the chicken thoroughly, then rub salt all over its body. Next, take a lemon cut in half and rub it around the chicken. Finally, rinse it with water and let it drain.

  Ways to clean chicken without odor

  • Eliminate chicken odor with vinegar: Before cooking, mix vinegar and salt in the ratio of 2 parts salt to 1 part vinegar, then rub it all over the chicken, scrubbing several times, and rinse well with clean water. This way, the chicken will not have any odor during cooking.
  • Eliminate chicken odor with lemon: Before cooking, simply rub a few slices of lemon on the chicken meat with a bit of salt, then rinse it thoroughly with cold water to remove the unpleasant smell of chicken or duck.
  • Eliminate chicken odor with ginger: You can crush a piece of ginger with a little white wine and massage it onto the chicken meat, letting it sit for about 30 minutes before cooking, which will help mask any unpleasant odors.

  
• 2

  Prepare other ingredients

  Clean the lemongrass, then crush it and cut it into appropriate pieces.

  Crush the shallots and slice them thinly, then place them in a bowl. Cut the lime leaves into small strips.

  Crush the ginger and tear it into small pieces.

  

  

  
• 3

  Marinate the chicken

  Add lemongrass, ginger, shallots, and lime leaves into a bowl, then add 1 tablespoon of salt, 1 teaspoon of monosodium glutamate, 1 teaspoon of ground black pepper, and 1 tablespoon of chili powder (you can add more if you like it spicy) into the bowl and mix all the seasonings well. Finally, add the star anise.

  Next, put all the seasonings inside the chicken.

  Then, take salt and annatto powder and rub them alternately on the outer skin of the chicken.

  Note: After marinating the chicken, you can use twine or plastic string to tie the chicken together neatly, helping to keep the seasonings from falling out and making it look better.

  

  
• 4

  Wrap the chicken

  First, wrap 4 – 5 layers of banana leaves around the entire chicken; using banana leaves will help keep the chicken meat fresh longer.

  Then, wrap an additional layer of aluminum foil on the outside.

  Use clay to wrap a moderate layer, not too thin or too thick, so that the chicken cooks easily and does not burn during grilling.

  Finally, wrap another layer of banana leaves on the outside to complete this step.

  

  

  
• 5

  Baking the chicken

  You can use firewood to make charcoal or buy charcoal directly from markets, then ignite the charcoal and let it turn red.

  When the firewood is burning, place the clay-wrapped chicken in the center of the fire and bake it over low heat so that the chicken cooks thoroughly inside, avoiding burning the chicken.

  During the baking process, you should occasionally turn the chicken to ensure it cooks evenly, and bake for about 1.5 – 2 hours for the chicken to be fully cooked.

  
• 6

  Final product

  The clay-wrapped chicken not only retains the delicious sweetness of the chicken meat but also has a very impressive aroma, blended from the scent of clay, lime leaves, along with the enticing aroma of grilled chicken.