Chicken Inasal — Bacolod Grilled Chicken

Combine the 960 ml of water, the 60 g of salt, the sugar and the bay leaves in a saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until the sugar and salt dissolve.

Pour it into a large bowl, tip in the ice cubes, and let it cool completely before the chicken goes anywhere near it.

💡 Completely means completely. Warm brine sitting against raw chicken is a food-safety problem, not just a technique note.

Soak the quartered chicken in the cold brine for 90 minutes. Drain it and pat it thoroughly dry.

Mix the garlic, ginger and lemongrass pastes with the calamansi juice, vinegar, black pepper, the 0.25 tsp salt and the soda. Add the chicken and refrigerate for at least 3 hours.

💡 Three hours minimum, overnight if you can. This marinade is where all the flavour comes from — the grill only cooks it.

Lift the chicken out and reserve the marinade. Grill over medium coals, skin side down first, basting with the reserved marinade, until the thickest part reaches 74°C (165°F).

💡 Stop basting with the raw marinade in the last few minutes so the final coat is fully cooked. Medium coals, not roaring ones — the sugar in the soda burns black long before the thigh is done.

In the final minutes, brush generously with the chicken oil mixed with the melted margarine. Rest for 5 minutes before serving.