Destination
Luang Prabang
The story
Ping gai ("grilled chicken") is Laos's default grilled-meat dish: whole chickens or spatchcocked halves marinated overnight in a wet paste of lemongrass, garlic, coriander root, fish sauce, black pepper and a splash of fish sauce, then grilled hard over live charcoal until the skin is deep bronze and the meat is smoky and juicy. Served with baskets of warm sticky rice, a jar of jeow bong, a plate of raw vegetables and (usually) a small dish of thum mak hoong (Lao papaya salad) on the side. The core of any Lao gathering, any Sunday lunch, any evening meal that involves visitors.
Method
In a mortar (or a food processor), pound (or pulse) the lemongrass, coriander roots, garlic and ginger to a rough paste. Transfer to a bowl and stir in the fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, oil, palm sugar, white pepper and turmeric.
Rub the marinade all over the chicken, into the skin, under the skin where possible, and into the cavity. Place skin-side up on a tray, cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours, ideally overnight.
Take the chicken out of the fridge 45 minutes before cooking.
Build a medium-hot bed of charcoal (or preheat a covered grill to 190°C / 375°F). If cooking indoors, preheat the oven to 200°C (400°F).
Place the chicken skin-side up on the grill (over indirect heat if using a kettle grill). Cover and cook 35 to 45 minutes, turning once and basting occasionally with the basting liquid if using, until the skin is deep bronze and the thickest part of the thigh reads 74°C (165°F).
Move the chicken to a warm plate. Rest 10 minutes, loosely tented with foil.
Carve the chicken into pieces: breast into thick slices, thighs and drumsticks left whole or cut in half.
Arrange on a large platter. Bring to the table with sticky rice, jeow bong, papaya salad, raw vegetables, fresh coriander and lime wedges. Guests take a piece of chicken, a small handful of sticky rice, a dab of jeow bong, a leaf of vegetable, and eat with their fingers.
Tips
- Overnight marinade is essential. Four hours is the minimum; overnight (12 to 24 hours) is what gives ping gai its specifically deep, integrated flavour. The coriander root and lemongrass need time.
- Coriander roots are the specific Lao note. Sold at Southeast Asian grocers as bunches of coriander with the roots still attached (or ask specifically). If unavailable, use twice as much finely chopped coriander stem plus a little extra garlic.
- Spatchcocking is worth the trouble. Butterflying the chicken (removing the backbone and flattening it) means it cooks evenly and quickly. Ask your butcher to do it, or find a YouTube tutorial; it takes 5 minutes.
- Medium-hot grill, not scorching. Ping gai needs slow-enough heat that the marinade caramelises without burning; scorching gives you burnt outside and raw inside. Indirect heat under a covered grill is ideal.
- Serve with sticky rice, always. Sticky rice + ping gai + jeow bong is the classic Lao three-way. Serving ping gai with jasmine or plain rice is possible but wrong; it changes the meal entirely.
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