GRILLED LEMONGRASS CHICKEN WITH LEMONGRASS SWEET CHILLI SAUCE (GAI YANG DTAKRAI)

If you like the aromatic of lemongrass, you should try this dish! Seriously. My hubby doesn't really into lemongrass, but when he tried this dish he likes it a lot.
Both chicken and the sauce are having lemongrass aromatic.



There are 2 kind of grilled lemongrass chicken. One is Vietnamese style and the other is Thai style. And I made the Thai style this time. The original name of this dish is Gai Yang Dtakrai (please correct me if I am wrong).

I love Thai foods, might be because Thai food's ingredients are similar with Indonesian food's ingredients. And plus, I love the combination of sweet and sour which is a common taste in Thai foods.

Better I stop talking and let's try this yummy grilled chicken :).....



Grilled Lemongrass Chicken with Lemongrass Sweet Chilli Sauce

Ingredients:
7 pieces chicken - legs and thighs, rinse and pat dry

Marinade Sauce:
2 stalks of lemongrass, finely minced the white part only (I used food processor to mince it)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup shaoxing wine
4 tbsps soy sauce
5 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 inch fresh ginger, finely chopped
1 tsp galangal powder
1 tbsp blackpepper
1 tsp dried crushed chilli
3 tbsps brown sugar

Lemongrass Sweet Chilli Sauce:
1-1/2 stalks of lemongrass, finely minced the white part only (I used food processor to mince it)
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsps shaoxing wine
1/4 cup fish sauce
3/4 cup rice vinegar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp dried crushed chilli (you can reduce it if you dislike too spicy)
1/2 cup water
2 to 3 tbsp tapioca starch solution

Preparation:
For the Marinade Sauce:
Mix all ingredients. Put chicken in the ziplock bag and pour the marinade sauce over the chicken. Make sure all chickens are soaked in the sauce. Keep it in the refrigerator for at least 8 hours. Alot better if you marinate it for overnight.

For the Lemongrass Sweet Chilli Sauce:
Mix all ingredients except the tapioca starch solution. Boil it over high heat. Once the sauce is boiling, pour in the tapioca starch solution. Keep stirring until the sauce is thicken. Let it cool before you serve it.

Brush the grill pan with olive oil. Preheat it over high heat. Place the chicken on the grill pan. Reduce the heat into medium heat. Grill and brush the chicken with the marinade sauce. Grill it until both sides are browned.

-OR-

Preheat the oven over 375F.
Put the marinated chicken on the baking dish. Cover it with alumunium foil. Bake it for an hour. Don't forget to brush the chicken with the marinate sauce every 15 minutes. Uncover the chicken. Brush the chicken with the marinate sauce. Bake it for another 20 minutes.

Pour the sauce over the chicken when it is ready to serve.