Kai Yang
This recipe was adapted from an article published in Milk Street Magazine in the summer of 2017. The author, recipe developer Diane Unger, had just returned from Thailand and wanted to recreate a street food dish she had loved in Chang Mai. She was pleased with her results, although admitting that there is no way to recreate at home the flavors of chicken rubbed with fresh herbs and spices then vertically roasted over a bed of 150 pounds of charcoal covered with a thick layer of ash.
The marinade in this recipe is an intense green-black color, more liquid than the paste as it’s described in the magazine. It has an unusual vegetal taste when tried on its own but leads to delicious chicken that can be cooked either in a 400°F oven or over charcoal that has burned down to white coals. Marinate the chicken for no more than one to two hours or it gets tough and overly salty. I think the marinade is too intense for white meat, but it’s perfect for thighs. Much to my surprise, the flavor of the chicken doesn’t necessarily “read” Thai. It’s equally good with Italian sides as it is with papaya salad and sticky rice.
Leftovers are great rolled into the next day’s menu. Debone the cooked chicken and slice the meat and skin into thin strips. Use this chicken as a substitute for pork in hot and sour soups, and also it’s great in Asian salads.
Ingredients
Marinade Ingredients
1 cup tightly packed cilantro leaves and tender stems
¼ cup fish sauce
½ cup soy sauce
¼ cup packed light brown sugar
1 Tbl Angkor Foods Lemongrass Paste
or 4 stalks chopped fresh lemongrass, using only the tender stem
4 cloves garlic
1 Tbl coriander seeds, roasted until just fragrant, and finely ground
1 Tbl black pepper, finely ground
1 tsp white pepper, finely ground
2 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
Instructions
Put all the marinade ingredients in a blender and buzz until smooth. Coat the chicken with the marinade for 1 to 2 hours, no longer.
Cook the chicken in a 400° oven or over charcoal that’s burned down to white coals.
Cook to 165° to 175°.
Note: You will have much more marinade than you need for 2 pounds of chicken, but it keeps seemingly forever in your refrigerator. It’s also good on beef cuts like skirt steak.
Just made this with basmati rice as a base and steamed green beans with a miso/peanut sauce as a side. The chicken was absolutely delicious (as was the side).
Thanks Lisa, xoxoxox