Bangkok Barbecued Chicken

I went in a whole different direction for inspiration for tonight's dinner since we did Jamaica on Tuesday, we're going to Thailand today.  I took a whole chicken and cut it up into 6 pieces and marinated it in a very aromatic mixture for about 6 hours. 

While the chicken was marinating I went and visited three other missions in San Antonio: Mission Concepcion, Mission San Jose and Mission Espada.  It is amazing to see the structures still standing today and the glimpse of what life would have been like back then.  I also made a quick stop at the Espada Aqueduct which was an ingenuous system for diverting water to irrigate crop fields.  I love getting my fill of history.

Now, back to dinner - the chicken was grilled over moderate heat to cook through and then finished over high heat for the last 10 minutes to brown and crisp up the skin.  I served this with simply boiled, buttered potatoes and a squash saute.

Bangkok Barbecued Chicken
Makes 4 servings

For the marinade:
4 large garlic cloves
1 large shallot, roughly chopped
1 medium jalapeno chile pepper, stem removed and roughly chopped
1 cup lightly packed fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup coconut milk
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 whole chicken, 4 to 5 pounds

To make the marinade:  In a food processor with the motor running, drop the garlic, shallot, ginger, and jalapeno, through the feed tube and process until they are fine minced.  Add the basil and process until finely chopped.  Add the remaining marinade ingredients and proess until well combined.

Cut the chicken into 6 pieces; 2 breast pieces, 2 legs with thighs, and 2 wings (remove and discard the wing tips).  Cut 3 or 4 slashes about 1/2 inch deep, into the meatier side of the breast and leg-thigh pieces.  Place the chicken pieces in a large, plastic resealable bag, and pour in the marinade.  Press the air out of the bag and seal tightly.  Turn the bag to distribute the marinade, place the bag in a bowl, and refrigerate for 4 to 6 hours, or as long as 12 hours, turning the bag occasionally.

Remove the chicken pieces from the bag and discard the marinade.  Grill, skin side down, over indirect medium heat until fully cooked.  The breast and wing pieces will take about 30 minutes.  The leg-thigh pieces will take about 40 minutes.  During the last 10 minutes of grilling time, move the chicken over direct medium heat until well browned all over, turning once.  Serve warm.

Recipe from Weber's Real Grilling

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