Step 1

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Place in a zip bag and let it sit for 10 minutes.

Step 2

Remove the outer leaves of the lemongrass. Bruised with the back of your knife or a meat tenderizer. Crush the garlic and ginger if using fresh pieces. You can also use the spices from the prepared sinamak.

Step 3

Place the spices in a bowl then add the sinamak, calamansi juice, pineapple juice, liquid seasoning, sugar, and black pepper. Stir until dissolved. Taste and adjust seasoning/sugar based on preference. You can also add some annatto oil in the marinade to deepen the color of the chicken. Totally optional!

Step 4

Pour the marinade over the chicken. Massage until each pieces are covered with the liquid. Seal the bag and marinate for a minimum of 6 hours or overnight in the fridge. Turn one to two times to evenly marinate the chicken pieces.

Step 5

Pour the vegetable oil in a small skillet over medium heat. Add the butter or margarine and annatto seeds. Set the heat to low. Stir together until the oil starts to turn red. After cooking for 2 minutes, turn off the heat. Continue stirring and cook using the residual heat for another 2 minutes. Remove from the stove and allow to cool for 10 minutes.

Step 6

Remove the chicken from the marinade and as well as the spices that stuck to the skin before cooking.

Step 7

Pre-heat oven to 180c/ 350F.

Step 8

Preheat ovenproof skillet, grill pan, or cast iron pan. Add annatto oil. The skillet should be smoking hot to prevent the chicken from sticking.

Step 9

Add chicken skin-side down and cook undisturbed on medium-high heat for 4 minutes or until chicken is nicely browned. Baste the top with the annatto oil. Flip to the other side and baste again with the annatto oil. Cook for a few minutes until charred. The sugar in this marinade burns quickly so watch it carefully.

Step 10

Transfer the partially cooked chicken in a heat-proof tray and cook the next batch of chicken using the same procedure.

Step 11

Transfer all the chicken pieces back to the ovenproof pan or place it on a roasting rack. Bake until cook through. Internal temperature must reach 165°F (75°C). See notes for suggested cooking times.

Step 12

Preheat the grill for 5 minutes. Grill over the hottest side of the grill, turning occasionally until charred in spots, about 5  to 10 minutes.

Step 13

Set the heat to medium-low, continue grilling (covered), basting with annatto oil and turning every 5 minutes or so, until the meat is cooked through, 20–40 minutes longer. Adjust the time depending on the size and thickness of the chicken. See notes for suggested cooking times.