Grilled chicken (gai yang) is very popular in Thailand.  This version is adapted from Hugh Mangum’s Barbecue: Smoked and Grilled Recipes from Across the Globe.  One difference between this version and what would be cooked in Thailand is the size of the chicken which would be much smaller in Thailand than in the US.  This one came from Costco and was about 6 lbs.

Forty years ago, in Chiang Mai, travelling with Thai friends, we bought a chicken in the market and grilled it with teriyaki sauce.  It was unbelievably tough, since it was an authentic free-range chicken, exercising every day and toughening its muscles as it searched for food.  We should have stewed it.

I cooked this on my Weber II gas grill, mostly over indirect heat, which meant that I turned the far left of the three burners on high and did not turn on the other two burners, and positioned the chicken over the closed burners.  The interior of the grill heated to a bit over 300 degrees, so there was a long slow roast (about 90 minutes) before I flipped the chicken over to be skin-side down, and repositioned it over the lit burner.

I marinaded it overnight and cooked it to an internal temperature of 150 degrees on the breast.  It was very tender, juicy, and flavorful.  Next time I might cook it a bit more, say to 155.

For the Marinaded Chicken

8 cloves garlic

2 shallots, cut into chunks

1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped (I substituted 1 Tbs. of lemongrass puree)

4 Tbs. soy sauce

2 Tbs. neutral vegetable oil

2 tsp. sweet or dark soy sauce

2 tsp. fish sauce

2 Tbs. palm sugar or light brown sugar

1 tsp. salt

½ tsp. black pepper

½ tsp. ground turmeric

4.5-6 lb. chicken, spatchcocked

For the Dipping Sauce (Nam Jim Jaew)

1 Tbs. palm sugar or light brown sugar

2 Tbs. fish sauce

1 Tbs. tamarind paste

1 Tbs. ground toasted sticky rice (Optional, and I did not include it)

1 Tbs. thinly sliced scallions

2 Tbs. red pepper flakes

In the bowl of a food processor, add one by one the garlic, shallots, and lemongrass and pulse until well chopped.  Add the remaining marinade ingredients and pulse until a paste is formed.

Put the spatchcocked chicken in a gallon ziplock baggie and pour in the marinade.  Seal the baggie and flip and massage the baggie to coat all of the chicken with the marinade.  Put it overnight in the refrigerator flipping the baggie from time to time.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and grill it skin-side up over indirect heat with the grill lid down until the internal temperature of the breast is 150 or 155 degrees. 

While the chicken is cooking, make the dipping sauce by combining all of the ingredients in a medium bowl.

Flip the chicken skin-side down and position it over the lit burner for direct heat for about 5 minutes to crisp up the skin.  When the chicken is done, let it rest for about 5 minutes before cutting and serving it.  Serve with the dipping sauce or commercial sweet chili sauce.