BBQed Thai-style chicken

Ingredients
One whole chicken - cut along the breast bone and open it out

Herb mixture - pound these in a mortar and pestle
2 tsp black pepper corns
1 stalk of lemongrass, chopped finely
One bunch of coriander, including the roots, chopped
Juice of two or three limes, not too wet
A little vegetable oil

Serving sauce, not too wet
White pepper corns
Salt
Lime juice


Method
Combine all the herbs for the marinade mixture and grind them in a mortar and pestle until they are a coarse paste.
Place the chicken in a large enough bowl and smear with the herbs, marinate overnight, in the fridge.

Prepare the barbecue so that it is hot enough - a covered one is best.
Make sure it's hot enough. Charcoal should be coals and no flames.
Keep the paste on the chicken and place it on the barbecue inside down, so it cooks first, and from the inside out.
Give it at least 15 minutes before turning - the outside should be sealed before turning. Don't let it burn!
Turn the chicken and give it another 10 mins for the outside (skin side)
Don't turn it too much, don't want to lose the juices!
Total cooking time may be about 45 minutes.

Test the meat at a joint and when it is ready remove it from the barbecue and joint the bird. Serve with mango or papaya salad and with the salt, pepper and lime sauce. And sticky rice if you like.



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Salad Dressings

It has been said that it's too difficult to make salad dressings. I don't think so.

Of course there are 1000s of dressings just as there are 1000s of salads!

Basic Vinaigrette
Use Olive Oil or Extra Virgin
White wine vinegar
In the ratio of 3:1 to start, to your taste later.
Salt and pepper to taste

Variations
Now the world unfolds...
Try lemon juice instead of vinegar
• Add (just) a splash of balsamic vinegar, don't use more than 20%
• Garlic, chili, fresh herbs
• Mustard, Dijon or seeded


- -
Other dressings
Thai Noodle salad dressing - very zingy
For the salad use cooked rice noodles, shallots or green onions, mini tomatoes, bean shoots, coriander and mint to taste.
Add shelled cooked prawns or BBQ chicken pieces for a non-vegetarian alternative.
Adjust the dressing with the lime, sugar and sesame oil.

The dressing consists of
1 tbsp vegetable oil [olive is the wrong flavour]
2 tbsp rice vinegar
2 tbsp fish sauce
Squeeze of lime juice
1 small red chilli finely chopped
2 tsp palm or white sugar, or to taste
Sesame oil to taste