Huli Huli Pulehu Chicken

Clean chicken with cold water, drain and pat dry with paper towels. Create the marinade by placing the ginger, garlic, chili pepper (optional), canola oil, sesame oil, juice, mirin, and sea salt into a blender and blend until smooth. Then, strain marinade to remove any unblended pieces. Keep chilled. Next, place chicken into marinade, making sure the entire chicken is submerged. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 12 hours.

For Pulehu cooking, prepare chicken on long sturdy skewers and roast slowly over medium heat from a kiawe wood fire (pulehu) turning chicken over (huli) every 2-3 minutes, as it cooks evenly without scorching. Controlling wood fire, even cooking and keeping it moist is the goal to a succulent chicken. This process will take  20 to 25 minutes depending on the heat.

For roasting chicken in the oven, set oven temperature to 350°. Place chicken evenly on an oven wire rack on a pan. Cook in the oven for 25 to 30 minutes or until internal temperature reaches 145° to 150°. In this cooking method, do not turn chicken. Be careful not to overcook the chicken. Serve immediately. Enjoy with your favorite side!