Barbecued chicken with Thai yellow curry

Texas and Thailand intersect masterfully in the San Antonio barbecue restaurant Curry Boys. In this recipe, Curry Boys co-founder and first generation Vietnamese-American Andrew Ho combines spice-rubbed, barbecued chicken with rich, coconut milk yellow curry.

Barbecued chicken with Thai yellow curry. Credit: Planet BBQ

• serves

  8

• prep

  10 minutes

• cook

  2:15 hours

• difficulty

  Mid

Ingredients

Chicken

• 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
• Coarse salt
• Coarsely and freshly ground black pepper
• Your favorite Cajun-style rub

Curry

• 45 ml vegetable oil
• 6 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 3 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed, white parts thinly sliced
• ⅓-½ cup yellow Thai-style curry paste
• ⅓ cup granulated sugar
• ¼ cup Asian fish sauce
• 4 cups chicken stock
• 4 cups Thai-style (unsweetened) coconut milk
• 16 small potatoes, such as redskins or Yukon golds, halved or quartered and boiled until tender
• 450 g (1 lb) baby carrots, boiled until tender

To serve (optional)

• 8 cups steamed rice
• Fried shallots
• Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
• Chilli oil

You will need wood chunks or wood chips, soaked in water to cover for 30 minutes, then drained.

Instructions

1. Arrange the chicken thighs on a rimmed sheet pan and season generously on both sides with salt, pepper and the Cajun rub.
2. Set up your smoker or grill for indirect grilling and heat to 120°C (250°F). Brush and oil the grill grate. Fold the boned chicken thighs over on themselves and arrange on the grill grate. Place half the wood chunks or chips on the coals. Smoke for 2 to 2½ hours, or until cooked through (74°C or 165°F on an instant-read grill thermometer), replenishing the wood and fuel as necessary.
3. In the meantime, make the curry: On your grill’s side burner, a butane-fueled click burner, or the stovetop, heat the vegetable oil in a large deep-sided pan over medium heat. Saute the garlic and lemongrass for 3 to 5 minutes, or until it just begins to color. Stir in the curry paste, sugar, and fish sauce and continue to saute for 2 to 3 minutes to develop the flavors. Add the chicken stock and coconut milk, and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes. (The mixture will not be thick.) Add the potatoes and carrots; cook for a few minutes more until hot. Do not overcook the potatoes or carrots.
4. Slice the smoked chicken thighs crosswise into 5-6 mm (¼ inch) pieces.
5. To serve, place a pile of hot rice on one side of a shallow soup-type bowl. Arrange a sliced chicken thigh on the opposite side. Scoop out a few potatoes and carrots and place near the chicken. Ladle some of the curry broth over the chicken and vegetables. Top, if desired, with fried shallots, coriander (cilantro) leaves, and chilli oil. Enjoy!

Cook's Notes

Oven temperatures are for conventional; if using fan-forced (convection), reduce the temperature by 20˚C. | We use Australian tablespoons and cups: 1 teaspoon equals 5 ml; 1 tablespoon equals 20 ml; 1 cup equals 250 ml. | All herbs are fresh (unless specified) and cups are lightly packed. | All vegetables are medium size and peeled, unless specified. | All eggs are 55-60 g, unless specified.