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Grilled Five-Spice Chicken with Cucumber Peanut Salad
Vietnamese chefs introduced Californians to the delights of five-spice chicken, and the dish is now entrenched in the Golden State repertoire. A cool, crunchy, lime-laced cucumber salad provides a refreshing contrast to the highly seasoned chicken. The marinade makes the chicken skin extra-crisp and tasty, so purchase skin-on thighs if possible.
Pairs With
Yield: 4 Servings
Ingredients
For the Marinade:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
- ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
- 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 1 small shallot, finely minced
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 4 chicken thighs, bone in, skin on, about 1-1/2 pounds (680 g)
For the Cucumber Peanut Salad:
- 1 English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced
- 1 large carrot, coarsely grated
- ½ small sweet red onion, thinly sliced
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice with some pulp
- 2 tablespoons water
- 1 tablespoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1 small clove garlic, finely minced
- ½ small jalapeño chili, minced (remove seeds first, if desired)
- ¼ cup (10 g) coarsely chopped cilantro
- ¼ cup (30 g) chopped roasted unsalted peanuts
- Lime wedges
Instructions
- Prepare the marinade: Combine the soy sauce, fish sauce, five-spice powder, garlic, shallot, and sugar and whisk until the sugar dissolves. Put the chicken thighs in a glass baking dish or other container just large enough to hold them. Pour the marinade over the thighs and turn them to coat all over. Cover and refrigerate for 8 to 12 hours, turning once halfway through.
- Prepare the cucumber salad: Put the cucumber, carrot, and onion in a bowl and toss gently to mix. In a small bowl, combine the lime juice, water, fish sauce, sugar, garlic, and chili. Whisk until the sugar dissolves, then pour the dressing over the salad and toss gently. Add the cilantro and peanuts and toss again. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
- Prepare a hot charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to high. Remove the chicken from the marinade and place skin side down on the grill. Brush the flesh side with any marinade in the baking dish. Cook on both sides until the skin has browned and crisped and the chicken juices run clear, not pink, when probed at the bone, about 20 minutes.
- Divide the cucumber salad and the chicken among 4 dinner plates. Garnish with lime wedges.
Pairs With
