Name: Chicken Chargrilled with Five-Spice and Turmeric (Gà Nướng Ngũ Vị Hướng)
Yield: Makes 12 Skewers
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1 teaspoon five-spice; ½ teaspoon hot paprika; 1 tablespoon fish sauce; 500 g (1 lb 2 oz) boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 3 × 5 cm (1¼ × 2 inch) pieces; 2 teaspoons coconut milk; 1 tablespoon light soy sauce; ½ teaspoon ground turmeric; 1 onion, diced; 3 garlic cloves, peeled and pounded using a mortar and pestle; 2 teaspoons sugar; 2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced; 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation info

Makes
12
Skewers

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

The Songs of Sapa

By Luke Nguyen

Published 2009

About

I SIT AMONGST A CROWD OF LOCALS ON A BUSY STREET CORNER NEAR THE HOAN KIEM LAKE. THE STREET STALL HAS A TABLE COVERED WITH VARIETIES OF PREPARED SKEWERS - PRAWNS, SCALLOPS, MUSHROOMS, ASPARAGUS, BEEF, EGGPLANT AND THIS FIVE-SPICE TURMERIC CHICKEN. YOU POINT AT WHAT YOU WANT AND THEY COOK IT ON THE SPOT.

Ingredients

1 onion, diced
3 garlic cloves, peeled and pounded using a mortar and pestle
2 kaffir lime leaves, thinly sliced

Method

In a bowl, combine the onion, garlic, lime leaves, five-spice, turmeric, paprika, sugar, fish sauce, soy sauce and coconut milk. Mix well, then add the chicken, stirring to coat it in the marinade. Stir in the oil, then cover the bowl and place in the fridge to marinate for 2 hours, or overnight for a better flavour.

Soak 12 bamboo skewers in cold water for 30 minutes to prevent them bu