5 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish
- sauce -- (nam pla or nuoc mam)
3 pounds chickens -- quartered, rinsed,
- patted dry
1/4 cup light brown sugar
8 leaves of butter lettuce
- -- (Boston, bibb, etc)
1/4 cup canned -- unsweetened coconut
-- milk
2 medium tomatoes -- quartered
2-1/2 tablespoon fresh lime juice
2 medium cucumbers -- sliced 1/4 inch
- thick
2 tablespoon five-spice powder
2 tablespoon soy sauce
1/2 red onion -- sliced and,
-- separated into
-- strips
1 tablespoon crushed dried Asian chiles
- -- (about 8 small)
Amerasian dipping sauce
1 tablespoon plus 1 tsp curry powder
Instructions:
Notes: This Asian-influenced dish is from Philipe La Mancusa, the
chef at Embarko in San Francisco. He serves the chicken with fried
plantains, rice and Singha beer from Thailand. The chicken must marinate
for one to two days before grilling. DIRECTIONS: In a small bowl,
mix the fish sauce, brown sugar, coconut milk, lime juice, five-spice
powder, soy sauce, crushed chiles and curry powder. Set aside for
at least 2 hours. Stir the marinade well. Place the chicken in a glass
baking dish and coat thoroughly with the marinade. Transfer the chicken
to 2 large, heavy Ziploc plastic bags. Pour in any extra marinade.
Press out any air and zip the bags to close. Set aside to marinate
at room temperature for 2 hours, then refrigerate for at least 24
hours or up to 2 days, turning the bags occasionally. Light the grill.
Cut the chicken wings off at the second joint or fasten the wing tips
to the rib cages with metal skewers. The fire is ready when you can
hold your hand 7 inches above the coals for at least 4 seconds. Grill
the chicken, bony sides down, for 1 1/2 minutes, then turn and grill
for 1 1/2 minutes to seal in the juices. Turn the chicken again and
grill for about 6 minutes, until the surface meat is firm. Turn and
grill for 6 minutes longer. If the fire is too hot, the skin will
char, so watch carefully and turn the chicken if necessary. Grill
the chicken, turning occasionally, for 17 to 25 minutes longer. It
is done as soon as the meat is white throughout and the juices run
clear when the meat is deeply pierced. Alternatively, preheat the
broiler. Broil the chicken for about 35 minutes, beginning skin-side
up and turning every 10 minutes. Serve the chicken on plates or a
platter, garnished with the lettuce, tomatoes, cucumbers and red onion.
Serve each person 1/4 cup of the dipping sauce in small dishes. Source:
Food & Wine magazine, 07/90
