Get the barbie out for Thailand’s favourite chicken dish

This dish, gai yang, from northeastern Thailand, is the most popular grilled chicken dish in the country (and beloved street food in Bangkok). A whole chicken is marinated in garlic, lemongrass, coriander roots, soy sauce and fish sauce and then chargrilled. It’s often served with sticky rice and the spicy dipping sauce, nam jim jaew.

Serves 4-6

For the marinated chicken

• 8 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 stalk lemongrass, outer leaves removed and chopped
• 25g coriander with stems, chopped
• 4tbs soy sauce
• 2tbs vegetable oil
• 2tsp sweet soy sauce or dark soy sauce
• 2tsp fish sauce
• 2tbs palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 1tsp salt
• ½tsp black pepper
• ½tsp ground turmeric
• 1 chicken (2-3kg), butterflied

For the dipping sauce (nam jim jaew)

• 1tbs palm sugar or light brown sugar
• 2tbs fish sauce
• 1tbs tamarind paste
• 1tbs toasted sticky rice (kao khua), ground (optional)
• 1tbs chopped coriander
• 1tbs chopped spring onions
• 2tbs red pepper flakes

To serve

• Sticky rice
• Lime wedges

To make the chicken, in a food processor, combine the garlic, shallots, lemongrass, and coriander and blend until it forms a paste.

Add the remaining ingredients except the chicken and blend well. 

Rub the marinade over the chicken. Cover and refrigerate overnight or, preferably, 12 hours.

To make the dipping sauce, combine the sugar and one tablespoon hot water in a large bowl and stir until the sugar is dissolved. Add the remaining ingredients, then set aside.

Set aside the chicken for 1-2 hours to bring to room temperature.

Preheat a grill to high for indirect grilling.

Place the chicken, skin side up, on the cooler side of the grill and cook for 45 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the breast reaches 60°C. Flip the chicken and place it on the hot side of the grill. Cook for another three minutes, until the skin is crispy. Set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.

Serve warm with sticky rice, the dipping sauce and lime wedges.

Taken from Barbecue: Smoked & Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe by Hugh Mangum with Shana Liebman (Phaidon, £34.95). Read the review