Grilled Split Thai Chicken with Fiery Red Chile Sauce

Chickens grilled in this manner are very popular throughout Thailand, where they’re sold in bus depots in villages, portable food stations, at the beach—everywhere. The Thais would use bamboo skewers, but metal ones work fine. The skewers keep the chicken flat as it cooks on the grill. You will notice that the chicken is doubly spiced, like American barbecue, but much hotter. Those Thais like their food very pungent! The chiles traditionally used are prik chee fa, with medium-hot, cayenne-like, bright red pods. Serve with sticky rice with mangoes and Thai iced tea.

Ingredients

• 12 large cloves garlic, chopped

• ½ cup chopped shallots

• 1/4 cup chopped ginger

• 1/4 cup fish sauce or substitute soy sauce

• 4 stalks lemon grass, peeled to reveal soft inner root and lower stem, chopped

• 6 large red Thai chiles (prik chee fa), stems and seeds removed, chopped, or substitute 4 red jalapeños

The Chicken

• 1 3 to 3 ½-pound chicken

• Fiery Red Chile Sauce

• 3 dried red New Mexican chiles, stems and seeds removed

• 4 red Thai chiles (prik chee fa), stems and seeds removed, chopped, or substitute red jalapeños

• 1 tablespoons chopped ginger

• 4 cloves garlic

• ½ cup distilled vinegar

• 2 tablespoons sugar

• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil, Thai preferred

• Salt to taste

Instructions

Using poultry shears, or a heavy knife, cut down both sides of the backbone to cut the chicken in half. Remove the backbone and place the chicken on a cutting board skin side up. Press hard on the breastbone to break it and flatten the bird.

Loosen the skin and rub the paste all over the chicken, over and under the skin.

Take the skewers and force one through the thigh perpendicular to bone and just above drumstick, into the breast, and out through the middle joint of the wing. Repeat for the other side of the chicken.

Place the skewers on the grill over a medium-hot fire. Grill slowly, turning as needed to brown evenly, for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken is 160 degrees F. for medium.

To prepare the sauce, soak the dried chiles in hot water to soften for about 20 minutes. Remove, drain, and chop. In a blender or food processor place the chiles, ginger, garlic and 3/4 cup water process until almost puree, but still coarse. Place in a saucepan with the vinegar and sugar. Cook until reduced to about half, remove to a bowl, and add basil and salt to taste. Stir it well.

Serve the chicken with the sauce on the side.