Thai Marinated Chicken Food

THAI COCONUT MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix marinade in a large bowl. Add chicken and mix. Cover with cling wrap and marinate in the fridge for 24 - 48 hours (can't skip marinating for this recipe).
• Brush BBQ with oil, or heat 1 tbsp in a skillet (I used a skillet). Use Medium heat - or Medium Low if your stove/BBQ runs hot (otherwise marinade may burn).
• Remove chicken from marinade, shaking off excess. Cook the first side for around 5 minutes or until caramelised and golden. Turn then cook the other side for 4 minutes until caramelised.
• BAKING: See Note 4.
• Transfer chicken to serving plate, cover loosely with foil and rest for 5 minutes. Garnish with coriander / chilli if desired, and serve with lime wedges and Sauce.

THAI GRILLED CHICKEN (GAI YANG)

Steps:

• Add the lemongrass, cilantro (coriander), shallots, and garlic to a mortar and pestle, and pound until pulverized. You can also use a food processor for this step.
• Add the oil, sugar, salt, black pepper, Thai soy sauces, fish sauce and turmeric (if using). Mix until well-combined.
• You can butterfly or spatchcock your chicken for grilling like it's done on the streets of Thailand. However, I cut the chicken into individual pieces to ensure they'd cook properly. This way, I can pull each piece off the grill once cooked. Rub the chicken with the marinade paste, ensuring every piece is thoroughly coated. Cover and place in the refrigerator to marinate overnight (or at least 12 hours).
• The next day, take the chicken out 1 to 2 hours before you're ready to grill.
• In a small bowl, mix the sugar and hot water until the sugar is dissolved. Mix in the rest of the sauce ingredients and set aside.
• Place the chicken on the grill, and use any remaining marinade to baste the chicken while grilling. Leave the marinade paste on the chicken, including any chunks of herbs as they will caramelize and add flavor. Turn and baste the chicken often to create a nice flavorful outer crust. Baste the chicken with the leftover marinade in the first half of the grilling process, but do not do this towards the end of cooking. The raw chicken marinade needs enough time to fully cook.
• Serve immediately with some coconut rice, your nam jim jeaw sauce, and lime wedges!

THAI CHICKEN MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine all of the ingredients for the marinade in a medium bowl or a Ziploc bag and mix thoroughly, making sure that the sugar has dissolved.
• Add the chicken and marinate overnight. I find that overnight (or even up to 24 hours) marination gives the chicken optimal flavor.If you are pressed for time, marinate for at least 2 hours. You may also want to make small slits in the meat or make small holes with a fork as this will allow for quicker marinade penetration inside the meat.
• After marination, remove excess marinade from the chicken pieces and grill over direct heat on a grill preheated to about 325F. As there is sugar in the marinade, make sure to keep an eye on the chicken and flip frequently to avoid burning. If using a charcoal grill, grill with a lid on to avoid flareups.

THAI BBQ CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat a grill to medium.
• Using a mortar and pestle, crush garlic cloves, peppercorns, coriander, lemongrass, and Thai chiles into a chuncky paste. Using a large spoon, transfer the paste to a large mixing bowl. Add the chicken and the remaining ingredients and mix well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to overnight.
• Put the chicken on the grill, skin side down, and brush with the marinade. Grill for about 15 minutes then flip the chicken over and brush with the marinade. Grill the second side for about 15 minutes. Discard the marinade. When the chicken is cooked and tender transfer it to a serving platter and serve with warm Dipping Sauce.
• Put all ingredients in a saucepan and put on the grill. Stir and bring to a boil. Move the pan to a cooler part of the grill and let the sauce simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. The sauce will reduce and become thick. Serve warm with chicken.

THAI CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the soy sauce, garlic, ginger and hot pepper sauce. Mix well and place chicken in the bowl, turning to coat evenly. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
• Heat the sesame oil in a Dutch oven over medium high heat. Add the brown sugar, stirring until dissolved. Add the onion and saute for 5 minutes. Add the chicken parts and saute for 5 minutes, turning to brown evenly. Pour in marinade, add the water and bring to a boil.
• Reduce heat to low and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes. Add the peanut butter, stirring well, and simmer for 10 more minutes. Transfer chicken to a serving platter, pour sauce over, and garnish with the chives.

BARBECUED THAI CHICKEN

Steps:

• Crush the peppercorns using a pestle and mortar, then add the garlic and crush again. Add the coriander stalks and chopped lemongrass, and bash to a rough paste. Stir in the lime juice, fish sauce and sugar and mix until the sugar dissolves. Poke a metal skewer through the leg and breast on either side of the chicken (see our video on how to spatchcock a chicken), then replace with a lemongrass stalk. Sit the chicken in a dish and pour over the marinade - squelch it around so the bird is completely coated, then cover and chill in the fridge for as long as possible or overnight.
• Remove the chicken from the fridge an hour before cooking. Set a lidded barbecue up for indirect cooking with a foil drip tray on the coal-free side. When the coals are very hot, lay the chicken, bone-side down, over the coal-free side, with the legs closest to the coals.
• Cover with the lid and arrange the vents for maximum air circulation. Cook the chicken for 50 mins-1 hr until a thermometer reads 70C (or a little higher) when stuck into the thickest part of the thigh or the juices run clear. Poke the coals about so they flare up again, then, using a pair of tongs, carefully flip the chicken, so it's skin-side down over the coals. Cook until the skin has browned and the thermometer reads 75C. Lift onto a board, leave to rest for 10 mins, then remove the lemongrass and carve.

THAI MUSLIM-STYLE GRILLED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Marinade
• Spatchcock chicken the Thai way by placing it breast side up on a large cutting board. Using a sharp, heavy knife and working just to the side of the center of the breast, cut down through to the breastbone (do not cut all the way through to the backbone). Now that the path has been created, use the same knife-or, easier, a sturdy pair of kitchen scissors-to make a clean cut all the way through the breastbone and anything else that is still connecting the 2 sides of the breast together. Open up chicken and turn skin side up. Press down on chicken to flatten. Pat thoroughly dry.
• Grind peppercorns in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a food processor or leave in mortar and pestle and add garlic, cilantro roots, brown sugar, fish sauce, turmeric, salt, coriander, cumin, and cardamom and process or pound until smooth. Coat chicken completely in marinade, pressing to adhere and working into nooks and crannies. Place in a large bowl and cover with a plate. Let chill at least 12 hours and up to 24 hours.
• Let chicken sit at room temperature 1 hour before grilling or baking.
• Sauce
• Purée pineapple and vinegar in a food processor or blender until smooth. Transfer to a small saucepan and add garlic, jalapeños, granulated sugar, salt, and pepper. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then reduce heat so sauce is at a simmer and cook until thick and smooth (consistency should be similar to cocktail sauce), about 5 minutes.
• Chicken and assembly
• Grind saffron to a fine powder in a spice mill or a mortar and pestle. Transfer to a small saucepan and add granulated sugar, salt, and ¼ cup water and cook over medium heat just until heated through and small bubbles appear around the edges of the pan. Whisk in coconut oil and remove from heat.
• If using a grill, prepare a grill for medium-high indirect heat (for a charcoal grill, bank coals on one side of grill; for a gas grill, leave one or two burners off); oil grate. Arrange chicken, skin side up, on cooler part of grill. Close lid and grill, rotating chicken but keeping skin side up every 5-10 minutes, until skin looks dry and golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thighs registers 130°-140°, 35-40 minutes. If using charcoal and your coals are dying, start a new chimney of coals 15 minutes before this point so you are ready for the next step.
• Uncover grill and increase heat to high (add more coals for a charcoal grill). Brush one fourth of basting liquid over skin and turn chicken over, positioning over direct heat on the hot side of the grill. Grill, brushing half of remaining basting liquid over bone side of chicken, until skin is browned and lightly charred in spots, about 3 minutes. (Watch carefully as this can happen quickly.) Turn chicken over and return to cooler side of grill. Brush skin with remaining basting liquid. Cover grill and continue to grill chicken until thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160° and thickest part of thighs registers 165°, 10-15 minutes longer.
• If using an oven, place a rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 350°. Place chicken, skin side up, on a wire rack set inside a rimmed baking sheet. Brush one third of basting liquid over skin. Bake, rotating baking sheet every 10 minutes, until an instant-read thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast and thighs registers 130°-140°, 35-40 minutes.
• Increase oven temperature to 450°. Brush remaining basting liquid over skin and continue to bake, rotating baking sheet halfway through, until skin is crisp and charred and thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast registers 160° and thickest part of thighs registers 165°, 10-15 minutes longer.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and let rest at least 15 minutes. Carve up further as desired.
• Top dipping sauce with cilantro. Serve chicken with rice and dipping sauce alongside.
• Cook's Note
• If you cook the chicken in the oven, using the dhungar method to perfume the finished chicken with the scent of smoky ghee is highly recommended.

THAI MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all ingredients in a large zip-top bag. Mix thoroughly. Refrigerate for 2-8 hours.
• Grill or broil until cooked, 4-6 minutes per side. Discard marinade.