Ping Gai - Grilled Chicken in a Cilantro Marinade

This is one of my favorite dishes and an easy crowd pleaser. When cooked, the cilantro and crushed black peppercorns mellow out, so don't be shy on ingredients when you're making the marinade. For weeknight meals, marinade the chicken the night before, and bake it in the oven when you get home from work. (See oven cooking method under Tips.)

You can also find the slow cooker version of this recipe in my cookbook. In fact, the slow cooker also makes a delicious sauce while cooking, which makes this an incredibly tasty slow cooker dish! I spoon that sauce all over my chicken and rice. It's flavor to the maximum.

Yield: 5 to 6

Prep Time: 15 minutes, plus marinating time

Cook Time: 25-30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

3 ½ to 4 pounds bone-in, skin on chicken thighs and drumsticks

1 bunch fresh cilantro (stems and leaves)

6 garlic cloves

1 ½ tablespoons coarsely ground black peppercorns

2 ½ tablespoons fish sauce

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Lime or lemon wedges, for garnish

Hot and Sweet dipping sauce, for serving (optional. Click here for recipe.)

METHOD

1. To marinate chicken, first place chicken in a large bowl or re-sealable plastic bags.
2. In a blender combine the cilantro, garlic, pepper, fish sauce, salt, and oil into a smooth paste. Add the marinade to the chicken and mix to evenly coat the chicken.
3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap (or seal the plastic bag), and marinade for at least 3 hours in the refrigerator. You can marinade overnight.
4. Take chicken out of the refrigerator 30 minutes before grilling. Prepare barbecue to medium heat.
5. Place chicken on grill with marinade still clinging, and grill chicken until brown on all sides, turning every 5-6 minutes until cooked through, and when the internal temperature of the chicken thighs and legs reach 180°.
6. Transfer chicken to plate and serve with lime or lemon wedges, hot and sweet dipping sauce (like Thai hot and sweet dipping sauce), and steamed rice.

TIPS

• If you want to skip the grill, cook these in the oven. Prepare a baking pan and line with aluminum foil, and place chicken with skin side up on pan. Bake at 400° for about 30-45 minutes, until the internal temperature of the chicken thighs and legs reach 180°.
• Pre-made Hot and Sweet dipping sauce (like Thai sweet red chili sauce), can be found in most grocery stores or online. You can also make your own from scratch with this recipe.