Friday, March 12, 2010

Fast Food on a Friday - Gai Yang (Thai BBQ chicken)

Author: Liss | Filed Under: chicken, recipe | at 3/12/2010 05:26:00 AM |

Back in the day where a takeaway or dining in a restaurant was at least a weekly ritual, hubby and I used to frequent a few Thai takeaway places. However our order never changed. Pad Thai for hubby, Gai Yang and rice for me.

Whilst I miss eating out (hey, who wouldn't?) I do baulk when I do mental additions of how much we used to spend eating out... let's not go there.

Anyhow, this recipe, I was thrilled to discover, I do not need to seek out a Thai takeaway when I have a hankering - I can make this! The kids eat it and ask for seconds! Hubby even likes it!

Best thing is, there is truly minimal effort. Makes me wonder why I paid $15 a serving when I can now make it for our family of five for the same price.

Ingredients:
1 kilo chicken breasts/thighs, de-boned cut into 4cm squarish-chunks
2 tb peppercorns
2 cloves garlic
2 stalks coriander, chopped
2 tb fish sauce
1 cup coconut milk

Method:
To prepare
In a mortar and pestle crush the garlic and peppercorns until they make a paste (about 1 minute)
Add the coriander and continue to pound until a greenish paste.

Add the paste, coconut milk in a airtight container and stir until well combined.

Add chicken to mixture, seal the container and shake vigourously to ensure chicken is coated

Leave in a refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

To cook: (at which time I'm cooking my rice)
Preheat griddle/frypan or BBQ and cover wth oil (I used macadamia)

Lay down marinaded chicken and cook for 4 minutes or until golden brown on each side.

Set to rest whilst you plate up rice (I also added snow peas/mange tout dressed with sesame oil) and serve.

11 comments:

Beth on March 12, 2010 12:14 PM said...: Um YUM! I want this right now. This will be getting a run this very weekend - thanks Liss!
Lorraine @ Not Quite Nigella on March 12, 2010 7:04 PM said...: Oh I always thought that there were lots of ingredients in the marinade but it sounds very easy!
Kylie on March 13, 2010 8:44 AM said...: I've added this to my ever growing list of recipes to try, but I reckon this one is going straight to the top!
Beth on March 13, 2010 7:56 PM said...: Liss am happy to report that this was our dinner tonight and it was DELISH. Daise knocked off SO much chicken and we all ate every last tasty morsel. I served it up with a side of Asian noodle salad. Thanks so much. Tomorrow we have friends over for lunch and I am going to do the baked cumin/palm sugar chicken.

This weekend has been sponsored by Frills in the Hills.

Thanks!
Liss on March 14, 2010 9:35 AM said...: Yay all!

Beth it is so easy that I can see it being addictive, I somehow feel there will be a bit more chicken in next months' mealplan :P

I love the Sweet Baked Crispy Chicken too - have you tried the sauce? VERY MUCH worth the effot!
Josiejo said...: Hello,
it's annoying me again!!!
When you say stalks of coriander, do you mean 1 stalk is like 1 plant (with half a dozen small stems). When you buy coriander from the supermarket it has about 8 little plants in it with small stems, but it just didn't seem like enough to have 2 tiny stems??
Josiejo said...: i left out a 'the'
It's 'the' annoying ME again!!
Liss on July 15, 2010 3:24 PM said...: You, my friend are never annoying.

I stalk is 1 root, it may have 3-4 little frongs on it, it will make approx 1 tb of paste if ground.

xx
Josiejo said...: mmmm marinating now!
Josiejo said...: Oooh! It was delicious!. my 19 month old (and sick mind you) son even enjoyed it.
So easy and so tender too!
Sarah @ For the Love of Food on July 16, 2010 2:46 PM said...: Josiejo's comment above led me to view this post that i missed from March - what a find! I love this idea and the fact that although it uses a cup of coconut milk you don't actually eat all of it (watching fat intake at the moment). Best of both worlds really. Becasue we have no undercover area for BBQ I'll have to file this away for when the weather improves (bookmarked for summer!).