Hello, All!

A recent Thai dipping sauce with tomatoes was news to me but I
thought this quick recipe (apart from marinating time) might be
interesting.

Gai Yang: chicken breast marinated in pepper/ coriander root
with dipping sauce and cucumber pickle.

2 tsp black pepper corns
5 or 6 large garlic cloves
3 tab cilantro roots (probably have to make do with stems tho’
roots are best).
Pinch salt
1 tsp Thai fish sauce

Blend and rub onto four portions of chicken breast, marinade for
at least an hour (probably 4 would be best).

Grill.

I think the marinated chicken is an old recipe and probably
predates the Portuguese introduction of chilies but both good
dipping sauces use chilies in one form or another. A more liquid
marinade can use chicken stock, lime juice, soy sauce, brown
sugar and coconut milk but this is more appropriate to slow
cooking on a barbeque.

Hot and sweet dipping sauce.

½ cup vinegar
½ cup sugar (¼ cup will do)
1 to 2 minced garlic cloves
¼ tsp salt
1½ tsp red pepper flakes

Heat vinegar to dissolve sugar. Mash garlic and salt to paste
with back of spoon, add pepper and vinegar. Serve at room
temperature after an hour (see Nam Prik Kiga too).

Chicken is served with rice (or sticky rice), dipping sauce in
small bowl and a portion of Thai cucumber salad.


Thai cucumber salad.

This is enough for a whole medium cucumber and is similar to a
Japanese one except in the way of chopping the cucumber.

¼ tsp salt
1 tab black vinegar (balsamic will do)
2 tsp rice vinegar
1 pinch sugar
1 tab minced ginger

Half peel cucumber length wise; in other words, with alternating
white and green. Quarter lengthwise, remove seeds then flatten
with cleaver blade. Cut in two lengthwise then into 1" pieces;
heap in bowl. Dissolve sugar in vinegar, pour over cucumber then
sprinkle salt. Marinade 1 hour and serve sprinkled with ginger.

Nam Prik Kiga, dipping sauce (worth thinking about if you can
get cilantro roots but you might have to find a Thai store.)

12 tab sliced Thai chilies
2 tab garlic, sliced thin.
1 tab lime juice
1 tab fish sauce
4 tab shallots (or red onions), sliced thin
3 tab cilantro, including roots, chopped

Sauté chilies, shallots, garlic, puree the whole mess.

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

E-mail, with obvious alterations:
not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not