Destination
Hua Hin
The story
Gai yang ("grilled chicken") is the most iconic dish of Isaan (northeastern Thailand) and one of the country's most-loved roadside foods: a whole chicken, butterflied and marinated overnight in a paste of garlic, white peppercorns, coriander root, fish sauce, oyster sauce, palm sugar and a splash of turmeric, then grilled slowly over charcoal for 45 minutes until the outside is dark-charred and the meat inside is juicy and deeply flavoured. Served on a wooden board with sticky rice (khao niaw), som tum papaya salad and a small dish of jaew — the roasted-chili-and-fish-sauce dipping sauce that's mandatory with Isaan grilled meats. The Isaan trio of gai yang, som tum and khao niaw is Thailand's most-shared regional food combination.
Method
Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl. Rub thoroughly all over the spatchcocked chicken, inside and out. Marinate in the fridge 4 to 24 hours.
For the jaew: toast 3 tbsp raw sticky rice in a dry pan over medium heat 5 minutes until deep gold and fragrant. Cool briefly, then grind to a coarse powder in a spice grinder or mortar.
Heat a charcoal grill until coals are white-ashy but not screaming hot. A medium-heat grill is the target — a cast-iron ridged pan on medium-high heat is the practical indoor substitute.
Lay the marinated chicken on the grill, skin-side down. Cook 20 to 25 minutes, turning every 5 minutes and basting with any remaining marinade. Reduce heat if the outside browns too fast.
Flip and grill skin-side up another 15 to 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through (internal temperature 75C at the thickest part of the thigh) and the outside is dark-charred and glazed.
Lift the chicken onto a warm board. Rest 10 minutes so the juices redistribute.
Combine toasted rice powder, chili flakes, fish sauce, lime juice, tamarind and palm sugar in a small bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. Add spring onions, coriander and shallots. Taste and adjust.
Cut the chicken into pieces with kitchen scissors or a heavy knife. Serve on a wooden board with sticky rice, som tum, cabbage wedges and small dishes of jaew. Eaters tear pieces of chicken with fingers, dip in jaew and eat with sticky rice pinched from a communal basket.
Tips
- Overnight marinade. Twelve hours minimum for the flavours to penetrate through the bone.
- Coriander root is the flavour marker. Fresh coriander roots (available at Thai grocers) give a specific earthy note that stems alone can't match. If unavailable, use stems + a splash of extra fish sauce.
- Medium-heat grill. Not screaming hot. The marinade needs time to caramelise into a glaze without burning.
- Jaew is essential. Isaan grilled chicken without jaew is like French fries without ketchup. The toasted rice powder is the signature — do not substitute cornstarch or flour.
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