The Isaan-style grilled chicken | Kai yaang is a Food from the Isaan region in northeastern Thailand close to Laos is famous for its clean flavors and use of herbs. Kai yaang uses a delicious method of rubbing a paste into meat and marinating it, then grilling it very slowly, allowing the flavors to caramelize on the skin. This is often done with half a chicken that is flattened out and grilled, then cleaved into pieces. The method here is a bit more manageable.
Serves 4–6
Ingredients:
4 lemongrass stalks, tough outer
layer removed, finely sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
3 fresh coriander (cilantro) roots
or 6 cilantro stems, finely
chopped
1 tablespoon crushed black
peppercorns
1 tablespoon fish sauce such
as nam pla
4 whole chicken breasts, with
skin on, each cut into 4 pieces
4 chicken boneless thighs, with
skin on, halved
1. Using a mortar and pestle, grind the lemongrass with the salt and sugar to make a rough paste. Add the garlic and coriander root or stems; continue to pound.
2. Add the crushed black pepper, and pound until you have a semi-smooth paste. Finally, add the fish sauce and mix until well blended. Rub the chicken pieces thoroughly
with the paste, and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.
3. Preheat a ridged cast-iron grill pan or charcoal barbecue until medium-hot. The chicken is cooked slowly to impart a smoky flavor and allow the marinade to caramelize. Place the chicken in the pan or on the barbecue where it is not too close to the direct heat.
4. Turn frequently every 3 minutes or so to prevent burning. When the chicken has caramelized on the outside and the meat is cooked, serve with the Isaan dipping sauce below.
Naam jaew (Isaan dipping sauce)
Using a pair of scissors, cut the tops off 3 large dried chiles, and split the chiles up the middle. Seed. Put the chiles in a bowl, and cover with boiling water. Leave for 30 minutes until softened. Wrap 2 teaspoons kapi (Thai shrimp paste) in some foil. Heat a heavy pan over a medium-high heat, and cook the foil parcel for 5 minutes on each side. This makes the paste aromatic, rather than pungent. Chop the drained soaked chiles very finely. Using a mortar and pestle, pound the chiles with ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon sugar to form a rough paste. Add 6 finely chopped shallots and 2 finely chopped garlic cloves; continue to pound. Work in the roasted kapi. Add 2 tablespoons tamarind pulp, 1 tablespoon fish sauce (nam pla), and 2 tablespoons water. You will be left with a thick jam-like sauce known as a jaew.
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| Isaan-style grilled chicken recipe |
