From what I understand, gà rô-ti is the Vietnamese approximation of rotisserie chicken. By boiling off the sugary marinade you can emulate the sweet caramelized glaze flavor that you might expect from cooking it on its namesake.
The recipe that follows is one that my mom has passed down to me, passed to her in turn from bà ngoại, and probably a good number of mothers before that. Even if it’s not the best recipe, it’s my mom’s, and therefore mine.
Gà Rô-ti
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 10 tbsp tap water
- 5-10 garlic cloves
- 3 tbsp canola oil, plus more as needed
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 3 stalks green onions, 3 tbsp canola oil, and a pinch of salt (for mỡ hành, described later)
Mix sugar, soy sauce, and water in a bowl, ensuring the sugar dissolves. Peel and smash garlic.
In a small pot enough to fit all the chicken in a single layer, fry the smashed garlic at low heat until fragant. Remove and set aside.
Add drumsticks in a single layer to the oil to begin frying. Fry one side until brown, about 3 minutes, then flip and fry the other side until brown, another 3 minutes. If the skin is still on the drumsticks, pull it away to get to the meat.
Add the sugar and soy sauce mixture to the pot, and simmer for about 30 to 45 minutes. Turn the drumsticks occasionally to ensure even cooking and coating. The sauce should reduce as it cooks. Cook the drumsticks to an internal temperature of 165 °F.
Coat the drumsticks with the thickened sauce before serving with rice and mỡ hành (finely chopped green onions, microwaved in a shallow layer of oil for about 15 seconds, with about a pinch of salt added for taste).