From Southeast Asia via New York, a recipe based on one developed by my sometime coauthor and longtime Asian hand, Jean-Georges Vongerichten. Included here not because it is “authentic” in the true sense but because the flavor is truly Thai and it’s among the best Thai-inspired chicken recipes I know. Serve it with Sticky Rice (page 508). For information on Asian fish sauces like nam pla, see page 500.

　　

Ingredients

makes 4 servings

　　2 lemongrass stalks, trimmed (page 143) and thinly sliced

　　2 large shallots, roughly chopped

　　2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

　　1 small fresh red chile, stemmed and roughly chopped, or 1 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes

　　1 tablespoon nam pla or nuoc mam

　　1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2 1/2 to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat

　　Salt and black pepper to taste

　　1 tablespoon corn, grapeseed, or other neutral oil

　　

Step 1

Combine the first 5 ingredients in a food processor and puree roughly, stopping the machine to scrape down the sides once or twice. If possible, do this the day before you want to eat.

　　

Step 2

Loosen the chicken’s skin wherever you can and spread the marinade between the meat and the skin, pressing it into the flesh. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. If time allows, wrap the chicken in plastic and let rest for several hours, refrigerated.

　　

Step 3

When you’re ready to cook, preheat the oven to 500°F. Place the oil in a large nonstick skillet over high heat.When the oil is hot, place the chicken in the skillet. When the chicken begins to brown, 3 or minutes later, put the skillet in the oven. Cook for about 8 minutes or until the bottom is crisp, then turn and return to the oven for another 5 minutes or so, again until crisp. Turn once more and cook until the chicken is done, about 5 minutes, then serve.

　　The Best Recipes in the World by Mark Bittman. © 2005 by Mark Bittman. Published by Broadway Books. All Rights Reserved.MARK BITTMAN is the author of the blockbuster The Best Recipes in the World (Broadway, 2005) and the classic bestseller How to Cook Everything, which has sold more than one million copies. He is also the coauthor, with Jean-Georges Vongerichten, of Simple to Spectacular and Jean-Georges: Cooking at Home with a Four-Star Chef. Mr. Bittman is a prolific writer, makes frequent appearances on radio and television, and is the host of The Best Recipes in the World, a 13-part series on public television. He lives in New York and Connecticut.