I had a party to go to on the 4th of July and I was asked to
bring a dish to share. I love to cook for people but I really can’t stand
cooking for picky people and I am not one who is looking to “please a crowd”
when I’m cooking. I am what you would call a “selfish chef.” I like to cook
things that make me happy. I’m the
one cooking, so damn right I should!
Anyway, I had to ask mom for advice because I really didn’t know what
to make that would satisfy most of the people at the party. She suggested this
recipe for Thai Street Chicken (Gai Yahng). It is SO good that the only people
it wouldn’t please are those on a meatless diet. I was nervous to try it after
looking at the ingredients but my mom is an expert (really, she used to be a
chef!) and since when should a recipe with three ingredients intimidate me!?
The actual marinade for the chicken is three ingredients. The overall “dish”
consists of grilled chicken marinated in a cilantro “pesto” and a sweet-hot
garlic sauce to go with it. You can serve it over rice but I wanted it to be a
simple finger food so I diced up the chicken for easy dipping into the sauce. I made a big batch to have for lunch the following week and ate it with some steamed green beans!
Cilantro Pesto
Yields about ½ cup
2 tsp whole white or black peppercorns (I used black)
4 tbsp coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems
4 tbsp coarsely chopped garlic
Using a mortar and pestle or spice grinder, crush or grind the
peppercorns. The original recipe calls for them to be crushed into a fine
powder but I left the pieces still a bit coarse. Add the cilantro and garlic and
work the ingredients into a paste. At this point, you can put them in a food
processor but I continued with the mortar and pestle. If you use a food
processor, you might need to add a little vegetable oil or water to help with
grinding.
Sweet-Hot Garlic Sauce
1 cup sugar
½ cup water
½ cup white vinegar
2 tbsp finely minced garlic (I used a garlic press)
1tsp salt
1 tbsp chili-garlic sauce
In a saucepan combine sugar, water, vinegar, garlic, and salt. Bring to
a rolling boil over medium heat. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt and then
reduce the heat to low. Simmer until liquid reduces slightly and thickens to a
light syrup about 20 minutes. Remove from the stove and stir in garlic-chili
sauce. Cool to room temp. Store at room temp for 2-3 days.
Thai Street Chicken
2.5 lbs chicken breasts, thawed (I bought a bag of frozen chicken from
Target and thawed it out)
½ cup cilantro pesto
4 tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp salt
Sweet-Hot Garlic Sauce
In a deep mixing bowl large enough to hold the chicken, combine the
pesto, soy sauce, and salt. Add the chicken and coat well with the marinade.
Cover and chill for 1-2 hours, turning occasionally to season each piece
evenly.
Prepare your grill (I used a grill pan) on high heat. Arrange the
chicken on the grill and cook 10 to 20 minutes (every grill or grill pan is
different), turning occasionally to brown and cook evenly. When the chicken is
done, allow it to rest for a few minutes before chopping into bite-sized
pieces. Serve warm or at room temperature with the sauce.
*The original recipe uses a whole, small free-range chicken that is
grilled for 45 minutes to an hour on high heat. I haven’t tried this but it’s
the authentic way to do it and I’m sure it’s amazing!
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