Happy Songkran-Thai Chicken Recipe

Happy belated Songkran. Songkran is actually April 12th and marks the Thai New Year. It's one of the only national holidays in Thailand and is celebrated throughout the country with family gatherings, drinking, gambling and, or course, soaking anybody and everybody with water. It is the national water fight. Three years ago, Julia and I were in Thailand during Songkran and were soaked with water returning from an elephant ride in Khao Sok. It was a subdued Songkran as Khao Sok consists of barely two hundred residents and the majority of them own or work at the numerous little bungalow operations in the rainforest. Nevertheless, the spirit of Songkran was alive and well, with children running around shooting super-soakers and adults playing cards until the wee hours of the morning. In honor of Songkran, I thought I would write one of my favourite recipes: Thai Barbequed Chicken. Anyone who's been to Thailand will recognize it almost instantly. The smell of this chicken lingers throughout the narrow alleyways of Bangkok and wafts through the dead air of the tropical forests in Koh Phangan and Koh Samui.

Thai Barbequed Chicken

Buy at least one dozen chicken thighs, bone in and skin on, since the leftover chicken is great with rice and sweet (or hot) chili sauce. In a blender, add these simple ingrediants:

One can of coconut milk
One whole bulb of garlic (not a clove, the whole bulb, don't be shy)
One tablespoon of each sauce: oyster, soy and fish sauce
One teaspoon of whole black pepper
One half teaspoon tumeric
As many fresh, dried or fresh/frozen Thai hot peppers or Habanaro peppers as you can handle (or equivalent chili powder)
About a quarter cup of fresh or fresh/frozen cilantro

Blend well and use to marinate chicken for at least one hour. Cook on the barbeque, charcoal works best because it's what they use in Thailand and a proper charcoal barbeque won't flare. If you are using gas, be careful, the dripping coconut milk is inflamable. Use the marinade to the baste the chicken so its smoke helps season the meat. Cook until the skin is near black and crispy. Always eat the skin, it's good for you. The smell of this chicken will damn near kill the neighbours with gastronomic envy. Enjoy with rice, noodles or another Thai curry.