Recipes from The Asian Grill

1 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1 tablespoon palm sugar or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground tumeric
1/4 teaspoon ground cumin
2 to 3 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut against the grain into 1/8-inch thick slices
12 long bamboo skewers

1. In a small bowl, whisk together coconut milk, sugar, coriander, tumeric and cumin until well incorporated and sugar in dissolved.
2. Put chicken and marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag. Squeezing out air, seal and shake to coat chicken pieces. Refrigerate for 2 hours, turning occasionally.
3. Soak skewers in water for 30 minutes. Meanwhile prepare a gas or charcoal grill to high temperature. Thread 4 to 6 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Grill, turning frequently, until crisp, 1 to 2 minutes per side. Serve with peanut sauce for dipping.

Reprinted with permission from Corinne Trang’s The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006), “Relish This and That,” June 2006.

24 jumbo tiger shrimp (about 10 per pound)
1/4 cup fish sauce
1/4 cup fresh lime or lemon juice
1/3 cup palm sugar or granulated sugar
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 large garlic clove, finely grated
1/4 cup packed fresh Thai basil, mint or cilantro leaves, minced
1 to 2 Thai chilies, stemmed, seeded and minced

1. Using a paring knife, cut through back shell of each shrimp. Remove dark vein. Run your forefinger between shell and flesh of each shrimp, separating but not removing shell from flesh.
2. In a large bowl, combine fish sauce, lime juice and sugar; whisk until sugar is dissolved. Add oil, garlic, basil and chili. If you wish, pour marinade in a blender and pulse until smooth.
3. Place shrimp and marinade in a large zip-top plastic bag. Squeeze our air, seal, and shake to coat shrimp evenly. Refrigerate for 4 hours, turning bag every 30 minutes.
4. Prepare a charcoal or gas grill to high. Grill shrimp, turning frequently, until evenly pink and golden on both sides, 2 to 3 minutes.

Reprinted with permission from Corinne Trang’s The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006), “Relish This and That,” June 2006.

2 English (hothouse) cucumbers, peeled, halved lengthwise, seeded and cut into 1/4-inch-thick diagonal slices
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup rice vinegar
1/3 cup sugar
1 red onion, sliced into thin wedges
1 or 2 Thai chiles, stemmed, halved lengthwise, seeded and thinly sliced crosswise

1. In a large sieve set over a bowl, toss cucumber with salt and drain for 1 hour.
2. Meanwhile, in another bowl, whisk together rice vinegar and sugar until sugar is dissolved. Transfer to a gallon-size zip-top plastic bag. Add drained cucumbers, onion and chiles. Squeezing out air, seal bag; shake to coat pieces evenly. Let stand at room temperature for 1 hour before serving or refrigerate for up to 1 week. Serves 6 to 8.


Reprinted with permission from Corinne Trang’s The Asian Grill (Chronicle Books, 2006), “Relish This and That,” June 2006.