Thai Grilled Chicken
Serves 4 INGREDIENTS
8 garlic cloves, chopped 3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed and pounded with the back of the knife 12 sprigs cilantro
¼ cup fish sauce
¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce ¼ cup canned unsweetened full-fat coconut milk
1 Fresno chile, chopped
2 red Thai bird’s eye chiles, chopped ¼ cup canola oil
6 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2½ pounds total) Crispy Rice (recipe below)
3 limes, quartered
Sweet Chili Dipping Sauce (recipe below)
DIRECTIONS
Combine the garlic, ginger, lemongrass, cilantro, fish sauce, soy sauce, coconut milk, both chiles and oil in a food processor and process until smooth. Put the chicken in a large bowl, pour the marinade over and toss well to make sure all the thighs are coated in the marinade. Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 24 hours. Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Set a wire rack over a sheet pan.
Heat a grill pan or cast-iron skillet over medium heat until smoking. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place in the pan, skin-side down. Cook until the fat renders and the skin becomes crispy, about 5 minutes. Turn over and cook on the other side until golden brown, about 4 minutes longer. Transfer to the wire rack and roast in the oven until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. To serve, slice the thighs lengthwise in half and skewer each half, if desired. Put the rice in bowls, top with the skewered chicken and squeeze lime juice over. Serve the dipping sauce on the side.