Thai Grilled Chicken - Gai Yang

Thai Grilled Chicken – Gai Yang

Thai Grilled Chicken or Gai Yang in Thai, is a coconut-basted grilled spatchcock chicken. 

Our friend Nick from KAB Brighton, a fabulous micro Thai restaurant, came and gave us a Thai class, and this was one of the recipes. It’s simple to make but packs amazing flavour. 

Cooking surfaces

Cast Iron Grid

BBQ Temperature

200C

Ingredients

For the marinaded chicken

  • 1 chicken
  • 4 tbsp coriander stalks, chopped
  • 6 cloves fresh garlic
  • 4 shallots
  • 2 stick lemongrass
  • 1 tsp turmeric powder
  • 1/2 tsp white pepper powder
  • 2 tbsp fish sauce
  • 2 tbsp palm sugar
  • 1 cup of coconut milk (tins with 60% min coconut)

For the dipping sauce – Nam Jim Jeaw

  • 2 tbsp tamarind concentrate
  • 1 tbsp palm sugar
  • 1 tbsp fish sauce
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp roasted chilli flakes
  • 1 tbsp shallots, finely chopped
  • 1 tbsp spring onions, chopped
  • 3 sprigs fresh coriander, chopped
  • 1 tbsp toasted rice powder

Equipment

No special equipment, just decent lumpwood charcoal with no chemicals in it (restaurant grade).

Method

For the dipping sauce

  1. Combine all the ingredients except the coriander and rice and mix.
  2. Allow to stand for 1 hour.
  3. Toast jasmine rice until golden, and then grind in a mortar and pestle to make a course powder.
  4. Just before serving add the rice powder and coriander to the dipping sauce.

For the chicken

  1. Spatchcock your chicken through the breast bone, the opposite way we do it in Europe. The Asians believe the chicken remains more moist cut this way.
  2. Add all the other ingredients except the coconut milk to a blender and blend to a paste.
  3. Smear your chicken with this paste and allow to marinade for 4 hours minimum, preferably overnight.
  4. Setup your Big Green Egg for a direct cook at 180°C with just your stainless steel grid.
  5. Cook your chicken, basting it every 5 or so minutes, with the coconut milk. Every so often, turn your chicken over.
  6. Cook your chicken until it has a good colour and the internal temperature of the breasts has reached at least 74°C.
  7. Allow your chicken to rest for 10 minutes before portioning. Thai people portion their chicken into bite-sized pieces. 
  8. Serve with your dipping sauce. 
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