Interview
Chef Victor Liong and Our Birds
Victor Liong, chef and co-owner of Lee Ho Fook in Melbourne’s CBD has shared his recipe for a classic Crispy Skin Cockerel. We had a chat about how and why he cooks with produce like ours.
How did you first discover Chooks at the Rooke?
Xavier reached out to see if I was interested, the product was intriguing and we are always looking for new and exciting produce at Lee Ho Fook.
Recipe
Crispy Skin Cockerel
1 Chook at the Rooke Cockerel
Brine
2500g water
300g salt
150g brown sugar
Mix to combine
Maltose Glaze
375g H2O
1125g White vinegar
563g Red vinegar
300g Maltose
Mix to combine.
Garnish
Lee Ho Fook Ba Xiang Spiced Salt mix
Worchestershire sauce
Lemon, as needed
Method
Brine cockerel for 1 hour
Remove from brine and hang, meanwhile prepare maltose glaze
Bring a large pot of water to a simmer and dip the cockerel in for 10-20 seconds to shrink back the skin and tighten
Dip into maltose glaze, make sure all surfaces are submerged,
Hang in the refrigerator of 3 days.
When ready to cook – take out cockerel and allow to come up to room temperature
Heat deepfryer to 180’C
Submerge the cockerel in the deepfryer so the fat gets into the cavity, allow to cook for 1 minute, remove and drain
Allow the heat of the oil to come back up to 180’C and using a ladle baste the skin of the cockerel until the colour is even, take your time
Once the cockeral has a burnished appearance, allow to rest for 10 minutes, use a probe and probe the temperature – it should be around 40’C
Bring deepfryer back up to 180’C and submerge the cockerel for 2 minutes, carefully remove and set on a tray – probe the bird, if it’s at 55’C allow to rest, if it’s under 55’C deepfry for a further minutes
Allow to rest for 10 minutes, probe again, the leg temperature should be 65-68’C and the breast temperature should be 62-64’C
Carve and serve with desired condiments.
