Vietnamese Honey-glazed Chicken (Ga quay mat on)

By Wendy Hutton, Southeast Asia’s Best Recipes

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing.

To make this sophisticated Vietnamese recipe, chicken—first marinated with black pepper, sugar, salt and sesame oil—is brushed during cooking with a piquant glaze. This is a good recipe if you’re entertaining, not just because it’s sure to be enthusiastically received, but because the chicken can be marinated and the Honey Glaze prepared several hours in advance. Then all you need to do is start roasting the chicken about an hour before you want to eat.

Serves 4
Preparation time: 20 mins + 1 hour marinating
Cooking time: 1 hour

2 teaspoons salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
1 whole fresh chicken (about 21/2–3 lbs/1.25–1.5 kg), fatty deposits and excess skin removed, pat dry with paper towels
2 stalks lemongrass, tender inner part of bottom third only, bruised and cut into 4 pieces

Honey Glaze
1 tablespoon oil
2 teaspoons annatto seeds or a little red food coloring (optional)
1/4 cup (60 ml) honey
2 tablespoons sweet soy sauce (or 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce mixed with 2 teaspoons soft brown sugar)
4 teaspoons lime or lemon juice
1 teaspoon sesame oil

Mix the salt, pepper, sugar and sesame oil in a small bowl. Rub half the mixture inside the chicken and the remainder over the outside. Leave the chicken to marinate at room temperature for 1 hour, or cover and refrigerate for several hours if preferred.

Prepare the Honey Glaze by heating the oil in a small saucepan. Add the annatto seeds and cook over medium heat until the oil turns light orange, 2 to 3 minutes. Strain the oil into a large bowl, discarding the seeds. Add the honey, soy sauce, lime juice and sesame oil, mixing well. If using red food coloring, just mix all the Honey Glaze ingredients together, including the oil. (The glaze can now be kept aside for several hours if you are preparing the recipe in advance.)

To finalize the dish, put the lemongrass inside the chicken and place it in a baking dish. Use a pastry brush to paint the Honey Glaze over the outside of the chicken, reserving the remaining glaze. Roast the chicken at 425°F (220°C), breast side up, for 15 minutes.

Stir the glaze thoroughly, baste the chicken again and return it to the oven. Reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C) and roast for 15 minutes. Brush the chicken with the glaze and oil which has run into the baking dish, then with the reserved glaze. Turn the chicken breast side down and cook for another 15 minutes. Brush again and roast for a final 15 minutes. Cut the chicken with a cleaver into 14 to 16 serving pieces, put on a serving dish and serve hot with the glaze from the baking dish poured over.

NOTE: It is important to baste the chicken every 15 minutes so that the skin becomes crisp and turns a rich golden brown. Stir the glaze each time before basting to amalgamate the honey.

Thai Barbecued Chicken (Gai yang)

By Wendy Hutton, Southeast Asia’s Best Recipes


Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing
.
Years ago, my young son made it his mission to try barbecued chicken in as many places as possible every time we visited Thailand. After a few years of research, he finally declared that the best version was the chicken served on the bridge linking Thailand with Burma at Mae Sai. I must confess that we never get tired of eating this chicken, which is marinated in the Thai trinity of garlic, black pepper and coriander root. Cook it over charcoal for that authentic Thai flavor and serve it with sweet Thai chili sauce.

Serves 4–6
Preparation time: 10 mins + 4 hours marinating
Cooking time: 15–20 mins

21/2 lbs (1.25 kg) chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks and breasts)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
6 large cloves garlic, minced
11/2 tablespoons coarsely minced coriander root
11/2 tablespoons coarsely minced coriander stems and leaves (cilantro)
11/2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon Thai Mekong whiskey or Chinese rice wine (preferably Shaoxing), (optional)
Oil, for brushing
Sweet Thai chili sauce, to serve

Remove any excess skin and fatty deposits from the chicken and prick the skin all over with a fork to allow the marinade to penetrate.

Pound or process the peppercorns to a coarse powder in a mortar or spice grinder, then add the garlic, coriander root, stems and leaves, and the salt. Process to a smooth paste, adding the whisky or rice wine a little at a time.

Rub the chicken pieces all over with the mixture, then leave to marinate for at least 4 hours, or refrigerate in a covered container up to 24 hours if preferred.

Brush liberally with the oil and cook over hot charcoal, turning several times, until golden brown and cooked through, about 15 minutes. Alternatively, grill or broil until cooked. Serve with sweet Thai chili sauce.

Chicken and Three-Color Pepper Stir-Fry Bento

By Makiko Itoh, The Just Bento Cookbook, Everyday Lunches to Go

Recipes © 2010 Makiko Itoh from The Just Bento Cookbook published by Kodansha International

This beginner bento is made with everyday ingredients that you may already have in your pantry.  It can be assembled in twenty minutes or less without any advance preparation.

Contents:
Chicken and Three-Color Pepper Stir-Fry (recipe below)
Instant Cabbage and Cucumber Pickles (recipe below)
Blanched Broccoli
Basic White Rice
Cherry Tomatoes

For the Chicken Stir-Fry

1/2 Tbsp olive or other vegetable oil
3 Tbsp roughly chopped green onion
2 tsp peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
1/3 each medium-sized red, green, and yellow sweet peppers, de-seeded and cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) chunks
salt, for sprinkling
2 oz (60 g) boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1/2 inch (1 cm) chunks
black pepper, to taste
1 Tbsp soy sauce
lettuce or shiso leaves used as dividers, optional

Heat the oil in a frying pan over medium heat.  Add the green onion and ginger and stir-fry for 1-2 minutes until the oil is fragrant.  Turn the heat up to the highest setting and add the peppers to the pan.  Stir-fry with a spatula or long chopsticks.  Sprinkle in some salt–this draws out moisture from the vegetables and cooks them a bit faster.  Continue stir-frying for 4-5 minutes, until the peppers are cooked.

Push the vegetables to the sides of the pan, and add the chicken to the exposed bottom.  Leave for a couple minutes, then turn over to cook the other side.  Stir everything together, and add the black pepper and soy sauce.

Turn the stir fry from the pan onto a cool plate so that it cools rapidly.  When cooled, pack into the bento box, using the lettuce or shiso leaves as a divider.

Make Ahead Note: Cut up the vegetables and chicken the night before, so everything is ready to just cook.  Be sure to keep the raw chicken stored separately from the vegetables for safety.

For the Cabbage and Cucumber Pickles

1 large green cabbage leaf
2 inch (5 cm) length English cucumber, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 tsp sea salt
squeeze lemon juice

Cut out the tough vein of the cabbage leaf and slice the rest into strips. Sprinkle the cabbage and cucumber with salt, and massage well with your hands until the vegetables go limp. Let rest for at least five minutes. Add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Squeeze out any excess moisture before packing into a bento box. To prevent the mingling of flavors, put the pickles into a small container or cupcake liner before adding to the box.

To Assemble Bento Box

1. Pack the rice tightly into up to half the bento box.

2. Fill half to two-thirds the box with the chicken stir-fry. Use a divider or a lettuce leaf to separate the rice from the stir-fry.

3. Add the small container of the pickles.

4. Fill in any gaps with broccoli florets and/or cherry tomatoes.

Coconut Roast Chicken with Soy Honey Glaze

by Alex Skaria, The Asian Barbecue Book: From Teriyaki to Tandoori

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing.

This dish is something really special and exotic. The chicken is placed over a fresh coconut—a Southeast Asian variation on “beer can chicken”! The coconut water steams the chicken from the inside while the exterior becomes nice and crispy. The chicken is served with the coconut water as a side dish. This aromatic and slightly sweet chicken dish is best served with stir-fried steamed rice or Japanese Grilled Eggplant.

Serves 4

Preparation time: 50 minutes

Grill time: 1 to 1¹⁄₂ hours

INGREDIENTS

Chicken
1 fresh coconut or 1 can unsweetened coconut water (not coconut milk!) (reserve 3 tablespoons for the marinade)
1 small onion, thinly sliced into rings
2 green onions (scallions)
1 red jalapeno pepper or 2 green jalapeno peppers, deseeded and cut into thin slivers
1 chicken, about 3 to 4 lbs (1.5 to 2 kg)
Salt to taste

Soy Honey Marinade
2 tablespoons Chinese light soy sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon sugar
3 tablespoons coconut water
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon peeled and finely chopped fresh ginger
¹⁄₂ teaspoon black pepper
Pinch of curry powder (optional)

Prepare the chicken support. If you’re using a fresh coconut, follow the steps shown below.

If you wish to use fresh coconut water with a chicken sitter or empty beer can, collect the coconut water from the freshly opened coconut and pour into a chicken sitter or an empty beer can with the top cut off. Add the onion rings, green onions and jalapeno pepper slivers to the sitter or can. Place the marinated chicken over the top of the sitter or can.

If you’re using canned coconut water, pour it into a chicken sitter or an empty beer can with the top cut off. Add the onion rings, green onions and jalapeno pepper slivers to the sitter or can. Place the marinated chicken over the top of the sitter or can.

To make the marinade, place the soy sauce, honey and sugar in a saucepan and set over medium heat. When the sugar is dissolved add the coconut water, garlic, ginger, black pepper and curry powder, if using, and simmer for a few minutes. Set aside and let cool.

Rub the chicken inside and outside with the marinade and keep in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Prepare the grill for indirect grilling. Place a drip pan in the middle and live coals around the drip pan.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and reserve any leftover marinade. In a saucepan, bring the leftover marinade to a simmer and cook for a few minutes. Set aside for basting.

Set the chicken resting on its support (can, coconut or sitter) on the hot grate above the drip pan or, if you’re using a gas grill, over the low heat zone and grill at medium temperature with the hood closed for about 1 to 1¹⁄₂ hours. During the last
10 to 15 minutes of cooking, regularly baste the chicken with the leftover marinade. Check for doneness by pricking the bird underneath the wings. If the juices run clear, the chicken is done. Check for the meat for seasoning and sprinkle on salt if needed.

Flaky siew mai croissants

By Periplus Editors, Quick & Easy Asian Tapas and Noodles

Reprinted with the express permission of Tuttle Publishing.

Siew mai pork and shrimp dumplings have long been a favorite dim sum offering. Here, in an inspired departure from tradition, crisp, flaky croissant dough stands in for the usual steamed wonton wrappers and the results are positively addictive.

Makes 25 croissants Preparation time: 1 hour Cooking time: 15 minutes

For Dough
Flour, for dusting
6 to 7 sheets frozen puff pastry (11 x 24 in/28 x 60 cm) or croissant dough, defrosted for 2 to 3 hours before using
1 egg white
Black sesame seeds, to garnish

Siew Mai Filling
5 oz (150 g) ground pork
4 oz (125 g) ground chicken
4 fresh shiitake mushrooms, stems removed and discarded, caps diced
5 oz (150 g) fresh shrimp or prawns, peeled, deveined and ground to a paste in a food processor
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/2 teaspoon chicken stock powder
(bouillon powder)
1/2 teaspoon flour
1 egg
1 egg yolk

Preheat the oven to 400˚F (200˚C).

Make the Siew Mai Filling by combining all the ingredients in a bowl and mix until smooth. Set aside.

Unroll each puff pastry or croissant dough on a lightly floured surface and roll it into a 24 x 11-in (60 x 28-cm) rectangle, 1/8-in (3-mm) thick, if necessary. Cut into approximately 7 equilaterial triangles, each with a base measuring 4 in (10 cm), marking the base of the triangles along the length of the pastry sheet. Cut out a total of 25 triangles from all the pastry sheets.

Place 1 tablespoon of the Siew Mai Filling on the base of each triangle and roll the base over the Siew Mai Filling, then roll up tightly into a cylinder, brushing the tip of the triangle with a bit of the egg white to seal. Repeat with the remaining pastry and Siew Mai Filling.

Brush the top of each croissant with the egg white and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Bake for 15 minutes. Arrange on a platter and serve hot.

Note: If the puff pastry is not available in this size, just roll it out to a 1/8-in (3-mm) thick rectangle and cut out as many equilateral triangles as possible, each with a base measuring 4 in (10 cm) and height measuring 11 in (23 cm).