Castle Rock Winery
Hawaiian-Style Roast Chicken and Rosé for Dad
Hawaiian-Style Roast Chicken and Rosé for Dad
This Father’s Day, cook up chef Roy Ellamar’s huli-huli–inspired chicken recipe. Plus, 14 crisp, dry rosés for summer pairing
“Working with the team that was at Robuchon, and every day pushing so hard—that really reignited my passion for cooking,” he remembers.
In 2015, he opened Harvest by Roy Ellamar at the Bellagio. The New American menu focuses heavily on seasonal, regional ingredients while incorporating a taste of Hawaii, which includes his own version of huli-huli chicken.
In Hawaiian, “huli” means to “turn around, or flip,” and at Harvest, Ellamar cooks the birds on a rotisserie viewable from the dining room.
Ellamar’s huli-huli brine includes brown sugar, chile flakes, cinnamon, mustard seed, soy sauce and more, and is boiled to release and incorporate the essential oils from the dry spices. He recommends straining the brine after boiling to remove seeds and flakes.
For the brining process (which should start the morning before cooking the chicken), let the brine completely cool and then make sure the chicken is fully submerged. Cover the container and set it to rest in the fridge overnight, but allow the chicken to come back to room temperature the next day before cooking.
Next, Ellamar turns his attention to the wine.
“When we opened [Harvest] we had a very global wine list,” Ellamar says. “Now we focus more on smaller products, a lot of American producers, and people that are doing things in alignment with us.”
To match with warm weather and the flavor profile of the brined chicken, Ellamar suggests going with a rosé—something like Château d’Esclans Whispering Angel from Provence, for example, is fruit-forward and fresh. “I think it pairs nicely with the brine and the chicken and the saltiness of the skin.”
Harvest Hawaiian-Style Roast Chicken
Recipe courtesy of Roy Ellamar at Harvest by Roy Ellamar.
For the Harvest Hawaiian-Style Roast Chicken:
- 1 gallon water
- 13 ounces kosher salt
- 8 ounces dark brown sugar
- 1 ounce whole black peppercorns
- 8 ounces dark soy sauce
- 1 star anise
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 2 tablespoons yellow mustard seed
- 1 teaspoon red chile flakes
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 16-ounce beer (Belgian saison style, such as CraftHaus Evocation)
- 1 whole chicken, cleaned (look for a weight of 2.5 to 3.5 pounds)
To make the Harvest Hawaiian-Style Roast Chicken:
1. In a large pot, heat 2 cups of water, salt, sugar and soy sauce over medium-high heat until the salt and sugar are fully dissolved. Add remaining spices (all remaining ingredients except the chicken, remaining water and beer) to the pot and bring to a boil for 2 to 3 minutes. Let the brine cool to room temperature. Strain and discard the spices.
2. When the brine has completely cooled, add the remaining water, beer and chicken, taking care to fully submerge the chicken. Wrap the top of the container with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight for 12 hours.
3. Remove the chicken from the brine, and with a paper towel pat it dry inside and out. This allows the skin to dry and become crispy when cooked. Return the chicken to the fridge and let it sit to dry (minimum drying time is 2 hours; maximum time is 12 hours). Leave the chicken uncovered.
4. Preheat the oven to 350° F. Place the chicken on a rack over a pan so that remaining liquids are able to drip off and the chicken’s skin can crisp. Roast the chicken for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cooking time may vary depending on the size of the chicken—the bird is done when the internal temperature of the thigh reaches 165° F. Serves 2 (plus leftovers for a beachside picnic).
14 Recommended Rosés
CASTLE ROCK Pinot Noir Mendocino County Rosé 2016 Score: 87 | $13
Crisp and delicately savory, with appealing notes of strawberry and orange zest. Drink now. 12,050 cases made.—T.F.