Saint Andrew Szechuan, Blueberry & Habanero is the perfect spice match for a celebration chicken meal. So roll your sleeves up, and take time to make this one, it will be worth it.

Ingredients
Spice paste 

20g fresh ginger

1 onion

2 cloves garlic

1 lemongrass stalk

6 Tbsp St Andrew Szechuan, Blueberry & Habanero

½ tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp sugar

1 Tbsp oil

1 whole free-range chicken (about 1.5kg)

For the rice

250g Jasmine rice

200ml coconut milk

100ml water

½ cucumber

Few sprigs of fresh coriander

Method
serves 4-6

Morning prep
Peel the ginger, garlic and onions and roughly chop. Remove the outer, tough layer of the lemongrass and roughly chop. Blitz them into a very fine purée with 3 tablespoons of St Andrew Szechuan, Blueberry & Habanero hot sauce, and the rest of the spice paste ingredients.

Place the spice paste in a medium saucepan and gently fry it off on a medium heat, consistently stirring, for 5-8 minutes. Remove from the heat and allow to cool.

Prep your chicken by smothering the spice paste all over it, on top, under, as well as in inside the carcass. Place on a large plate and store in the fridge, uncovered, to marinade for at least 5-8 hours. 

Take the chicken out of the fridge 2 hours before cooking and place into a medium baking tray. Allow the paste to dry out a bit and the chicken comes to room temperature. Soak the rice in water for at least 1 hour before cooking and rinse about 4 or 5 times until the water runs clear. Mix the coconut milk and water together and warm it up in a saucepan.

Preheat the oven 200°C/180°C(fan). Cover the chicken with a foil tent and bake in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes.

Take the chicken from the oven, remove the foil and surround the chicken with the rice. Pour in the warmed coconut/water mix. Cover the chicken and rice with the foil again and bake for a further 20 minutes.

Remove it out of the oven again, this time removing the foil altogether and baste/brush with the remaining measure of St Andrew hot sauce. Bake to finish for 20 minutes more, until the rice liquid has absorbed and the chicken juices run clear.

When ready place the chicken on a large platter and let stand for 5 minutes. Fluff up the rice in the baking tray with a fork and serve it on the platter, around the chicken, with chopped cucumber and some fresh coriander.

Recipe by Kylee Newton, The Modern Preserver