Ricardo Chaneton of Hong Kong’s MONO Shares His Whole Latin Chicken Recipe

Instructions

1. To brine the chicken: Clean your chicken well both inside and outside. In a container large enough to ensure that the chicken will be fully be immersed in the brine, add the salt and sugar to the 2L of water and whisk to dissolve. Once fully dissolved, place your chicken in the brine and cover the container it with a lid or cling film (again, make sure all the chicken is covered by the brine). Keep the container with the chicken in your fridge for 24 hours.
2. For the marinade: Place all the spices and herbs in a mixer together with the olive oil and vinegar and mix until completely smooth and combined. Separate one-third of the marinade and set aside to be used for a final baste once the chicken is cooked. Remove the chicken from the brine, dry it with a clean towel and brush the whole chicken from all sides as well as inside and leave it 12 hours sitting in the fridge without any cover.
3. To cook the chicken:
   Before cooking, leave the chicken out for 2 hours at room temperature (it's easier to control the cooking if the chicken isn’t cold straight from the fridge.)
   Heat your oven to 180°C (fan bake). Put your chicken on a wire rack and line the tray underneath with aluminium foil so the chicken is not sitting in its own fat and the excess fat is not dripping on to the bottom of your oven.
   Place in the middle of the oven and cook for 20 min.
   Remove the chicken from the oven and rest for 10 min. While the chicken is resting, heat your oven to 200°C. Brush the chicken again with the marinade and place back into the oven on the same tray for a further 10 min. Once the chicken has finished cooking, take a cutting board and a sharp knife and break down the chicken. Start by separating the legs followed by the breast (and keep the bones after to eat with your fingers!). Once broken down, brush one last time with the extra marinade that had been set aside earlier (ensure you don't use the brush or the marinade that was used for the raw chicken) and serve!
4. To cook the cassava: Wash and peel the cassava (don’t be afraid to take off a bit more than usual as you can’t eat the first layer of the cassava). Cut it carefully into the desired shape and place inside a medium pot. Cover with water and add some salt. cook the root vegetable until soft. Remove the cassava from the water and serve in a side dish plate once ready.
5. To prepare the Chimichurri: Separate the leaves from the stems from both herbs and wash in very cold water until clean. Place the herbs on a dry towel and dry well. Take a board and a sharp kitchen knife and finely chop the herbs and chili. Place them inside a medium-sized mixing bowl and mix in the olive oil and lime juice. Finish by seasoning with the remaining spices and keep the sauce at room temperature until eating together with the cassava and chicken.