JEROME MING—REDUX FOR TIME

MIX AND MATCH: Thai food blends familiar ingredients with the exotic

I have been visiting Thailand for almost two decades, and have grown to love its people, the land, the culture and especially the delightful and glorious Thai food. I remember my first taste of a cuisine exploding with spices and herbs in combinations I had never imagined. Now I am fortunate enough to live in Bangkok and my street, Langsuan Soi, is a food lover's paradise.

The basic ingredients of Thai cuisine are indigenous to Thailand, but foreign foods and practices have always found a welcome. It is the ultimate fusion cuisine, drawing knowledge from southern Chinese immigrants and indigenous Southeast Asian cooking together with the addictive flavors of India. I am never surprised when my Chinese friends clamor for Thai food, for it combines the familiar with a touch of the exotic.

Rice is fundamental, a sustaining and caloric carbohydrate—but it needs color, flavor and textural contrast. And so the Thais use curries and sauces for stimulating flavors. Vegetables and fruits add color, crunchiness, nutrition and aesthetics. A bit of fresh fish, seafood or animal protein makes for contrast and a different taste experience. If the food budget is stretched, more rice is cooked and increased amounts of hot but nutritional chilies are added.

One of the most popular Thai dishes is this version of barbecue chicken. I love both eating and making it. Thai cooks use chicken thighs, which are meaty and stay moist in the intense heat of the grill. The secret is marinating the chicken overnight. The unique Thai fish sauce works its magic by tenderizing and flavoring the meat. Then strong, fresh garlic combined with coriander is mixed in with spicy chilies, zesty lime leaves and aromatic curry paste, with a touch of rich coconut milk. All this is melded together with the lovely, smoky grilled flavors of the charcoal. If this is not paradise, then I don't know what is.

Ken Hom's most recent book is Foolproof Asian Cookery

Thai Barbecue Chicken (Gai Yang) Serves 4 900 g (2 lbs.) chicken thighs with bone in Marinade: • 2 tablespoons fish sauce • 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped garlic • 3 tablespoons finely chopped fresh coriander • 2 fresh, small Thai red or green chilies, seeded and chopped • 4 crushed kaffir lime leaves or 1 tablespoon lime zest, finely chopped • 2 teaspoons sugar • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine or dry sherry • 1 teaspoon turmeric • 2 teaspoons Thai red curry paste • 1 teaspoon salt • half teaspoon freshly ground black pepper • 4 tablespoons tinned coconut milk Garnish: • handful of fresh coriander sprigs 1. Blot the chicken thighs dry with kitchen paper. 2. In a blender or using a mortar and pestle, combine all the marinade ingredients and puree. 3. In a large bowl, combine the chicken with the marinade and mix well. Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight. 4. When you are ready to barbecue the chicken, remove the chicken from the refrigerator and leave at room temperature for 40 minutes. 5. Make a charcoal fire in the barbecue or preheat the oven grill to high. When the charcoal is ash white or the oven grill is very hot, grill the chicken for 10 minutes on each side or until they are cooked. 6. Place on a warm platter, garnish with coriander sprigs and serve immediately or allow to cool and serve at room temperature.

Aug. 18, 2004	Aug. 19, 2003	Aug. 20, 2003