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Gai yang

Gai yang

This chicken dish is traditionally sold in roadside huts in Thailand alongside other barbecued meats, tum som and sticky rice. The rice needs to be soaked overnight, and the chicken is best marinated overnight too, but once you’ve done this the rest is really quick and simple. The recipe for the accompanying dipping sauce is adapted from David Thompson’s Thai Food. You’ll need to begin this recipe a day ahead.

Gai yang

Serves 4
Cooking Time Prep time 15 mins, cook 25 mins (plus soaking, marinating, cooling)
350 gm   white glutinous rice, soaked overnight in cold water
Gai yang
4   garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
4   coriander roots, scraped
1   lemongrass, white part only finely chopped
1 tsp   coarsely ground white pepper
30 gm   tamarind pulp, dissolved in 50ml hot water, strained (solids discarded)
15 gm   light palm sugar, crushed
2 tbsp   fish sauce
1   free-range chicken (about 1.5kg), butterflied and lightly tenderised with a meat mallet
Dipping sauce
4   garlic cloves
1   coriander root, scraped
1   long red chilli, coarsely chopped
375 ml (1½ cups)   rice vinegar
220 gm (1 cup)   white sugar


1 For gai yang, process garlic, coriander, lemongrass and pepper until finely chopped. Transfer to a non-reactive container with tamarind, palm sugar and fish sauce. Slash chicken at intervals with a large knife then add to tamarind mixture, turn to coat, rubbing with marinade, refrigerate to marinate (overnight).
2 Meanwhile, for dipping sauce, pound garlic, coriander root and chilli in a mortar and pestle to a paste. Transfer to a saucepan with vinegar, sugar and 200ml water and cook over high heat until sauce is syrupy (15-20 minutes). Refrigerate until required.
3 Preheat a coal barbecue or char-grill pan to high heat. Grill chicken, turning regularly, until charred and cooked through (25 minutes). Cut into portions and keep warm.
4 Meanwhile, drain glutinous rice and cook in a large steamer lined with muslin over a saucepan of boiling water until fluffy and sticky (20 minutes). Serve with chicken and dipping sauce.

This recipe is from the February 2011 issue of Australian Gourmet Traveller.

Drink Suggestion Cold, refreshing lager

RECIPE Lisa Featherby PHOTOGRAPHY William Meppem STYLING Lisa Featherby and Geraldine Muñoz DRINK SUGGESTION Max Allen

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