Mouan Ang Cambodian Grilled Chicken Recipes

CAMBODIAN GRILLED CHICKEN (MANN OENG K'TEM SOR, MARECH)

Steps:

• 1. Prepare the chicken and marinade: Remove and discard the fat just inside the neck and body cavities of the chicken. Remove the package of giblets and set it aside for another use. Rinse the chicken, inside and out, under cold running water, then drain and blot it dry, inside and out, with paper towels. Spatchcock the chicken. Make 2 deep slashes to the bone in both sides of the chicken breast and in each leg and thigh. Trim or fold the wing tips back behind the wings. Place the bird in a nonreactive baking dish just large enough to hold it.
• 2. Place the garlic halves, sugar, and salt in a heavy mortar and pound to a paste with a pestle. Work in the soy sauce and fish sauce. If you do not have a mortar and pestle, combine the garlic, sugar, and salt in a small food processor and puree to a paste, then work in the soy sauce and fish sauce. Spoon the marinade over the chicken, forcing it into the slits and turning the bird to coat it well on both sides. Let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator, covered, for 1 hour to 4 hours; the longer it marinates, the richer the flavor will be.
• 3. Meanwhile, make the glaze: Heat the oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the crushed clove of garlic and cook until just beginning to brown, about 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the garlic to a small heatproof bowl. Add the annatto seeds to the saucepan with the oil and cook until fragrant and browned and the oil turns orange, about 2 minutes. If you are using paprika instead of annatto seeds, cook it for only 15 seconds. Strain the oil through a fine-mesh wire strainer into the bowl with the garlic. Set the glaze aside.
• 4. Prepare the dipping sauce: Place 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper and 1/4 teaspoon of sugar, if using, in 2 small attractive bowls. Have the limes ready; you'll add the lime juice at the last minute. (See Note.)
• 5. Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to medium. Leave one section of the grill bare for a safety zone.
• 6. When ready to cook, brush and oil the grill grate. Drain the chicken and discard the marinade and arrange it on the hot grate or in an oiled grill basket, if using, skin side down. Grill the chicken until it is golden brown and cooked through, 12 to 20 minutes per side. Move the chicken as needed to dodge any flare-ups. Use an instant-read meat thermometer to test for doneness, inserting it into the thickest part of a thigh but not so that it touches a bone. The internal temperature should be about 170°F. Alternatively, you can make a cut in the chicken meat where the thigh connects to the body; there should be no traces of red at the bone. During the last 10 minutes of cooking, start brushing the chicken on both sides with the glaze.
• 7. To serve, transfer the chicken, skin side up, to a platter. Let it rest for about 2 minutes, then cut it into pieces with a cleaver. Add 2 tablespoons of lime juice to each bowl with the salt, pepper, and sugar for the dipping sauce and stir it with a fork or chopsticks until the salt and sugar dissolves. To eat, dip the pieces of chicken in the salted lime juice.
• Variation
• Khmer Chicken Grilled Using the Indirect Method: You can also grill the chicken using the indirect method, a process that, although not traditionally Khmer, has the advantage of eliminating all risk of flare-ups. Set up the grill for indirect grilling, place a drip pan in the center, and preheat the grill to medium. Place the marinated chicken skin side up in the center of the grate over the drip pan and away from the heat. Cover the grill and cook the chicken until browned and cooked through, 40 minutes to 1 hour. Start brushing the chicken with the glaze during the last 15 minutes of cooking and baste it again every 5 minutes.

MOUAN ANG ( CAMBODIAN GRILLED CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Mix the oil, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, pepper and salt in a bowl.
• Add the chicken and rub the mixture into the chicken flesh. Cover with cling film and leave to marinate for 1 hour.
• Heat the grill, rub with oil, then add the chicken when hot. Let it cook for until browned on all sides and chicken reaches and internal temperature of 170 degrees about 25 minutes . If chicken starts to get too dark move off of the direct heat and continue to cook on the cooler part of the grill.

MOAN DUT KHNAO KCHEI (BAKED CHICKEN WITH YOUNG JACKFRUIT)

Steps:

• Prepare the chicken: In a large bowl, whisk soy sauce, palm sugar and salt until dissolved. Rub the marinade on the chicken and let it rest for 10 minutes, flipping halfway through. Reserve any liquid that drains from the chicken for later.
• Cut the jackfruit: Using a paring knife, peel the skin from the jackfruit. Remove the core, then cut the meat into 1-inch cubes. Set aside.
• Pour the oil into a Dutch oven or another large, heavy-lidded pot, and heat over medium-high.
• Lay the chicken in the hot oil, breast-side down, taking care not to burn yourself. Let it rest for 3 to 5 minutes, until browned underneath. Using tongs, turn it over to brown the top, then rotate as needed until the chicken is brown all over.
• Once the chicken is browned, remove it from the pot and place it on a cooling rack, with a pan below to catch the juices. Then, add the jackfruit to the oil to brown, about 5 minutes.
• As the jackfruit cooks, use the broad side of a cleaver (or a pestle, or the dull edge of a chef's knife flipped upside down) and pound the lemongrass flat to release flavors. Stuff most of it inside the chicken, setting aside a few pieces to add to the broth.
• When the jackfruit is browned, pour out the oil. Wipe out the pot, if needed, then place the chicken and jackfruit back into the pot. Add the reserved marinade liquid, 1/2 cup water, the makrut lime leaves and the rest of the pounded lemongrass. Cover the pot and let it steam over medium-low heat until juices run clear, about 45 minutes to 1 hour.
• Prepare the sweet-and-sour sauce: In a medium bowl, stir the chile, garlic, sugar, fish sauce, lime juice and salt until the sugar and salt are dissolved. If you'd like, add shallots and lemongrass.
• Prepare the black Kampot pepper sauce: Heat the peppercorns and salt in a small skillet over medium heat until the peppercorns start releasing their fragrance. Then, grind them finely by hand with a mortar and pestle or in an electric spice grinder. In a small bowl, mix them with the lime juice.
• Prepare for serving: Wash and dry whole lettuce leaves, mint and Thai basil. Slice the cucumber into thin medallions. Arrange each in individual bowls.
• When the chicken is done, remove the bird and jackfruit using a slotted spoon and add to a large serving bowl. (Any leftover sauce makes a good dip for grilled meat or seafood.)
• To serve, set out the dipping sauces and crudités with the chicken and jackfruit. (The chicken is traditionally served whole, but, if you'd like to cut it into pieces before serving, you can do so.) This is a communal meal. Make little pockets out of the lettuce and combine with different combinations of chicken, jackfruit, herbs and sauces to your liking.