Gai Yang — Isan-Style Grilled Chicken with Cilantro Root

Place the chicken breast-side down and use kitchen shears to cut along both sides of the backbone from end to end; remove the backbone and save it for stock. Turn the chicken over and press firmly on the breastbone with the heel of your hand until it cracks and the chicken lies flat. This helps it cook evenly.

Wash the cilantro roots and thick stems thoroughly to remove any soil, then coarsely chop them. In a mortar, pound them with the garlic and white peppercorns into a fibrous paste. A food processor chops the ingredients, while a mortar crushes the cells and releases their aroma. Mix the paste with the fish sauce, soy sauce, palm sugar, turmeric, and coconut milk.

Rub the marinade over both sides of the chicken. Slide your fingers under the breast skin to loosen it from the meat, then spread some marinade underneath. Place the chicken skin-side up in a wide dish and refrigerate. The marinade under the skin flavors the meat directly as it cooks.

Toast the rice in a dry skillet until golden, then coarsely grind it in a mortar; the powder adds aroma and body to the sauce. Whisk together the tamarind paste, fish sauce, palm sugar, and lemon juice until the sugar dissolves. Stir in the red pepper flakes, toasted rice powder, thinly sliced shallot, and chopped cilantro.

Heat the oven to 190°C / 375°F. Place the chicken skin-side up on a wire rack set over a baking sheet. If using a charcoal grill, place the chicken beside the coals rather than directly over them; gai yang cooks with heat, not flames. At this stage, the skin will not brown yet, but the meat will cook.

During the last 12 minutes, switch the oven to broil or move the chicken closer to the coals to brown the skin deeply. Watch it closely because palm sugar darkens quickly. Insert a meat thermometer into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone; do not remove it from the heat until it reaches 74°C / 165°F. The breast should be about 70°C / 158°F at this point and will finish cooking as it rests.

Using a heavy knife, separate the rested chicken into thighs, wings, and breasts. Cut the breast into two-finger-wide strips. Serve the nam jim jaew sauce in a separate bowl, alongside sticky rice and green papaya salad. Do not pour the sauce over the chicken; dip each bite into it.