Chicken Pandan

Method

1. Use leaves sold as culinary pandan, not unidentified ornamental screw-pine leaves. Rinse, pat dry and trim off damaged sections. Choose flexible leaves at least 35 cm long; very narrow or brittle leaves are unsuitable for enclosing the chicken.
2. Mix coconut milk, marinade soy, fish sauce, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, coriander and white pepper. Add the chicken, coat thoroughly, cover and refrigerate for 2 hours, or up to overnight. This marinade is for flavour, not a substitute for cooking.
3. Mix the dipping soy, vinegar, dipping water and teaspoon sugar in a clean small bowl. Stir until dissolved and keep it away from the raw chicken. Heat the oven to 200°C conventional or 180°C fan and set a rack over a rimmed roasting tray.
4. Lift one chicken piece from the marinade and let excess drip. Lay it near the middle of a pandan leaf, fold the two leaf ends over it at opposing angles, then tuck the final end under the first fold to make a snug packet. If necessary secure the overlap with a short bamboo pick; count every pick used.
5. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Discard the used marinade. Arrange parcels seam-side down on the rack without crowding and brush exposed leaf surfaces very lightly with oil. The leaves should surround the meat but need not make a watertight seal.
6. Bake for 25–30 minutes, turning once halfway through. Open the largest parcel carefully to check the chicken centre reaches 74°C. Return any underdone parcels to the oven for 3–5 minutes; leaf colour is not a doneness test.
7. Rest for 3 minutes. Remove and account for every bamboo pick before serving, or clearly tell diners where they remain. Serve the parcels with the clean dipping sauce. Unwrap and eat the chicken only; pandan leaves are an aromatic wrapping and are not eaten.