Thai-Salted Chicken Parcels

Thai-Salted Chicken Parcels

For this dish the chicken is prepared with lots of salt and left for several days, after enough time the salt reacts with the chicken to part salt the meat.

Ingredients
200 gms Chicken Mince
3 Garlic Cloves
2 Tablespoons Salt
1 Tablespoon Chopped Bird Chillies
Aluminium Foil

Preparation
1. Mix the chicken mince with salt and chopped chillies.
2. Form a sausage shape with the mince, and double wrap the small sausages in foil.
3. Leave in the fridge for 3 days.
4. Either barbecue the foil packets on a stove, or in a dry frying pan (still in the foil), for 10 minutes to cook them.

Serve With
Coriander Leaves
Bird Chillies
Sticky Rice
Mint Leaves

Indian-Barbecued Tandoori Chicken

Image by MadMan the Mighty via Flickr

Indian-Barbecued Tandoori Chicken

Ingredients:
3 very young broiling chickens (about 2 to 2-1/4 pounds each)
2-1/2 teaspoons unseasoned natural meat tenderizer
1/3 cup lemon juice

Marinade:
2 large cloves garlic
1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon ground roasted cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
1/2 teaspoon red pepper
1 teaspoon tandoori coloring, or 1 tablespoon paprika
1/3 cup plain yogurt
Usli ghee or light vegetable oil for basting

How to cook:
Cut the wings off the chickens. Remove the neckbone carefully. Place the chickens on a cutting board and quarter them neatly. Then pull away the skin, using kitchen towels for a better grip if necessary. (Reserve the wings, neck, and skin for the stockpot.) Prick the chicken all over with fork or a thin skewer. Make diagonal slashes, + inch deep, 1 inch apart on the meat. Put the meat in a large bowl. Add meat tenderizer and lemon juice to the chicken, and rub them into the slashes and all over for 2 minutes. Cover and marinate for + hour. Put all the ingredients of the marinade into the container of an electric blender or food processor, and blend until reduced to a smooth sauce. (Alternatively, garlic and ginger may be crushed to a paste and blended with the remaining ingredients.) Pour this marinade over the chicken pieces and mix, turning and tossing, to coat all the pieces well. (A note of caution: Since certain brands of Tandoori coloring tend to stain the fingers, it is advisable either to use a fork to turn the chicken pieces in the marinade or use a pastry brush to spread it over the chicken.) Cover and marinate for 4 hours at room temperature, or refrigerate overnight, turning several times. Chicken should not remain in the marinade for more than 2 days, because the marinade contains a meat tenderizer which, with prolonged marinating, alters the texture of the chicken meat to very soft and doughy. Take the chicken from the refrigerator at least 1 hour before cooking to bring it to room temperature. The chicken is now ready to be either roasted in the oven or broiled over an electric or charcoal grill.

To roast in oven:
Start heating the oven to 500-550 degrees. Take the chickens out of the marinade. Brush them with the ghee or vegetable oil, and place them on an extra-large shallow roasting pan, preferably on a wire rack. Set the pan in the middle level of the oven, and roast for 25 to 30 minutes, or until the meat is cooked through. There is no need to baste while the chicken pieces are roasting, because the enclosed environment keeps the chickens from drying excessively.

To broil indoors:
Preheat the broiler. Brush the grill with a little oil to prevent the meat's sticking. Place the chicken pieces, slashed side up, on the grill, and brush the slashed side with ghee or vegetable oil. Cook 2 to 3 inches away from the heat for 20 minutes. Turn and cook the other side for another 10 minutes, or until the chicken pieces are cooked through. Brush often with ghee or vegetable oil during cooking.

To grill outdoors:
Fire the coal well in advance (about 1-1/2 hours before you are ready to begin cooking), so that a white ash forms over the surface of the coal. This is when the coal is at its hottest. Place the grill at least 5 inches away from the heat, and rub generously with oil. Place the chicken pieces, slashed side up, over the grill and brush them with ghee or vegetable oil. Let chicken cook without turning for 10 minutes. Turn, baste the other side, and cook for 10 minutes. Continue to cook, turning and basting the chicken every 10 minutes, until it is done. The cooking time for broiling and grilling usually varies widely. Much depends upon the intensity of the heat and its distance from the chicken. The point to remember is that the chicken pieces have been marinating in a very strong tenderizing solution for two days and therefore will cook much faster than standard broiled or barbecued chicken.

Serve the chicken immediately, lightly brushed with ghee or oil.

Mexican-Breaded chicken with Avocado

Mexican-Breaded chicken with Avocado

Ingredients:
3 tablespoons cornmeal
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
4 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup shredded Monterey Jack cheese
6 slices avocado
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tablespoons sliced green

How to cook:
In a large resealable plastic bag, combine the cornmeal, cornstarch, garlic salt and cumin. in a shallow bowl, beat the egg and water. Flatten chicken to 1/4-in. thickness; dip into egg mixture, then place in the bag and shake to coat. In a large skillet, heat oil. Cook chicken for 4 minutes on each side. Top with cheese and avocado; cover and cook until chicken juices run clear and cheese is melted. Garnish with sour cream and onion.

Mexican-Cumin-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Mexican-Cumin-Rubbed Chicken with Avocado Salsa

Ingredients:
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
4 (4 ounce) boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 fully ripened Avocado from Mexico, halved, pitted, peeled and cubed
1 cup chopped tomato
1/2 cup diced cucumber
1/4 cup diced red onion
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons lime juice

How to cook:
In small bowl, combine 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, the cumin and pepper; rub on chicken. In large non stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Add chicken; cook, turning occasionally, until no longer pink in the center, about 10 minutes. Meanwhile, in medium bowl, combine Avocado, tomato, cucumber, onion, cilantro and remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt. Serve over cumin rubbed chicken with whole grain couscous or rice, if desired.

Thai-Spicy Chicken Soup with Herbs (Gang Pa Gai Baan)

Thai-Spicy Chicken Soup with Herbs (Gang Pa Gai Baan)

Ingredients:
500 g. Chicken meat stick with its bone (They call it domestic flows)
1/2 cup cut pumpkin
1/2 cup sliced galingale (long shape)
1/4 cup basil or sweet basil
2 groups young pepper corn
1 tbsp. sliced sweet pepper
1/4 cup Solanum torvum or Turkeyberry (Look on google if you don’t know it)
5 pieces kaffir lime leaves
1/2 cup cut wing bean
1/2 cup cut eggplant
3 tbsp. fish sauce
1 tsp. sugar

Paste:
15 whole guinea-peppers (or any kind you can find)
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. sliced lemongrass
1 tsp. minced galangal
1 tbsp. roughly cut galingale
3 tbsp. cut red onion
1 tsp. basil flower
1 tsp. shrimp pasteGround all of paste in gradients together

How to cook:
1. Add 3 cups of water or stock in the pot and turn on the fire. Use medium heat to boil it. Add paste and then wait until it is boiling.
2. Add chicken. I looked up on my dictionary it’s call this type of chicken domestic flows. The chicken meat is quite rough and more difficult to chew.
If you can’t find this type please don’t worry. Just add whatever you have, beef or pork will be fine.
3. Cook the meat for 10 minutes.
4. Add pumpkin and cook for 10 more minutes.
5. Now, add wing bean, eggplant, fish sauce, sugar, pepper corn, galingale, sweet pepper, and basil.
6. Keep adding fish sauce until it tastes perfect. I can’t tell you the right amount because you may like it more or less salty.
7. Serve with hot jasmine rice or rice noodle.

Thai-Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass (Gai Yang)

Image by Manuel W. via Flickr

Grilled Chicken with Lemongrass (Gai Yang)

Ingredients:
4 thigh chicken
7 lemongrasses (cut 1 inch)
3 tbsp. sugar
1/4 cup light soy sauce
1/4 cup soy sauce
3 tbsp. black pepper
1/3 cup garlic

How to cook:
1. Crush the lemongrass finely.
2. Then, with black pepper and garlic, we just need to crush it lightly.
3. Now, add soy sauce, light soy sauce, sugar and mix everything very well.
4. With your hand, take a chicken piece and give it a massage in a bowl of mixed ingredients above. Do the same thing with the rest.
5. Leave it in the refrigerator for 3 hours or one night if you are not in a hurry.
6. Grill it on a fire made from wood or use the oven with 180 C for 45 minutes.

Note from Vern: The flavor of lemongrass with the chicken is an amazing combination. You’ll like this recipe regardless if you like other Thai foods because it’s just like a flavored chicken recipe. Try it!