Add a tasty bit of Thai flavor to your chicken breasts, by covering them with a lemongrass-based paste then grilling. Pair with grilled vegetables and some rice, and you’ll be transported to Thailand for mealtime.
- 1/2 cup minced lemongrass, tender bottom part only
- 3 tbsp peeled and grated fresh ginger
- 3 tbsp Asian fish sauce
- 3 tbsp fresh lime juice
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1/2 tsp hot red pepper flakes
- grated zest of 1 lime
- 2-3 tbsp water
- 4 chicken breasts, about 3/4 lb each, skin on and bone in
Combine the lemongrass, ginger, fish sauce, lime juice, garlic, red pepper flakes, and lime zest in a blender and puree, adding the water as needed to make a thick paste.
Spread the lemongrass mixture evenly over both sides of the chicken. Transfer to a non-aluminum dish, cover, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, or up to 4 hours.
Build a charcoal fire in an outdoor grill with a cover and let burn until covered with white ash. Leave the coals heaped in the center of the grill: do not spread them out. For a gas grill, preheat on high heat. Turn one burner off and keep the other burner(s) on high heat.
Lightly oil the grill rack. For a charcoal grill, arrange the chicken, skin side down, around the perimeter of the grill rack, not directly over the coals, and cover the grill. For a gas grill, place the chicken over the unlit burner and cover. Cook, turning after 15 minutes, until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, about 35 minutes total. serve hot.
Serves: 4
Source: Williams-Sonoma Chicken. Simon & Schuster.
