Thai-Style Grilled Chicken
 
      5 tb Thai or Vietnamese fish             3 lb Chickens, quartered, rinsed,
           -sauce (nam pla or nuoc mam)             -patted dry
    1/4 c  Light brown sugar                   8    Leaves of butter lettuce
    1/4 c  Canned, unsweetened coconut              -(Boston, Bibb, etc)
           -milk                               2 md Tomatoes, quartered
  2 1/2    Tbsfresh lime juice                 2 md Cucumbers, sliced 1/4 inch
      2 tb Five-spice powder                        -thick
      2 tb Soy sauce                         1/2    Red onion, sliced and
      1 tb Crushed dried Asian chilis               -separated into strips
           -(about 8 small)                         Amerasian Dipping Sauce
      1 tb Plus 1 tsp curry powder                  -(separate recipe)
 
  Servings: 8 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

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