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Rellenong manok
Stuffed deboned chicken
Rellenong manok: Filipino Noche Buena deboned chicken stuffed with pork, raisins and eggs
Rellenong manok is a showpiece of the Filipino Noche Buena, the Christmas Eve feast after midnight Mass. A whole chicken is boned out, leaving the skin in one piece, then stuffed with a mixture of minced pork, sausage, raisins, carrot, cheese and whole hard-boiled eggs, sewn up and roasted. Sliced, every round shows the egg in the middle. Ask your butcher to bone the chicken if you prefer. Because the pork stuffing is inside, check that its centre reaches 74 °C. Chef's tip: chill the stuffed chicken for an hour before roasting so it keeps its shape.
- Total time
- 210 min
- Difficulty
- hard
- Serves
- 10
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp calamansi or lemon juice
- ½ tsp black pepper
- 1 oz buttermelted
For the stuffing
- 1 ⅛ lb minced pork
- 7 oz chicken meat trimmed from the boned birdminced
- 3 ½ oz Filipino sweet sausage or chorizodiced
- 1 carrotfinely diced
- 1 ¾ oz raisins
- 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish
- 2 ⅛ oz grated cheddar
- 2 eggsraw
- 1 ⅜ oz breadcrumbs
- 1 tsp salt
- 4 hard-boiled eggspeeled
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Lay the boned 4 ⅜ lb whole chicken, boned with the skin intact skin-side down and rub the inside with 2 tbsp soy sauce, 2 tbsp calamansi or lemon juice and ½ tsp black pepper. Chill while you make the stuffing.
Step 2: Mix 1 ⅛ lb minced pork, 7 oz chicken meat trimmed from the boned bird, 3 ½ oz Filipino sweet sausage or chorizo, 1 carrot, 1 ¾ oz raisins, 2 tbsp sweet pickle relish, 2 ⅛ oz grated cheddar, 2 eggs, 1 ⅜ oz breadcrumbs and 1 tsp salt.
Step 3: Spread half the stuffing over the chicken, lay 4 hard-boiled eggs in a row down the middle, and cover with the rest of the stuffing. Fold the skin over and sew or skewer it closed into a log or chicken shape.
20 minStep 4: Wrap in foil and chill for 1 hour. Heat the oven to 350°F (325°F fan).
Step 5: Bake in the foil for 1½ hours, then unwrap, brush with 1 oz butter and roast for 20–30 minutes more, until golden. A thermometer pushed into the very centre of the stuffing must read 165°F. A common mistake is trusting the colour of the skin: always check the middle.
120 minStep 6: Rest for 20 minutes, then slice into thick rounds. Serve warm or cold with banana ketchup or gravy.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 480 kcal
- Protein
- 40 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 30 g
- Fibre
- 1 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does rellenong manok take?
- About 210 minutes in total: 90 minutes to prepare and 120 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 10 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Can I make it ahead?
- Yes. It keeps well, so you can cook it earlier in the day or the day before and reheat it.
- What can I use instead of soy sauce?
- Tamari, same amount (gluten free).
- What can I use instead of calamansi or lemon juice?
- Lime juice, same amount.
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Perfect for:Christmas