Here’s one for you Liz…

Healthy food; I love this dish, tasty and easy.  Many of you will have eaten this with us since the days at Mary Street - we still cook it.

This has got to be my favourite barbeque chicken dish, great for crowds and the chicken thighs are a cost effective option but the taste is huge.  I serve this with a simple Asian salad and have included one of mine below.

The salad is also worth considering if you want a simple 1 plate dish, just add enough cooked prawns, shredded poached chicken or finely sliced beef or pork and you have a great summer meal.

Yes Liz I can hear you say there is salt and even sugar but I’ve cut it down here for you and everyone needs some salt!

Grilled Chicken with Pepper Lime Dip, served with a simple Asian salad  

serves 6

Chicken thighs – enough for 6 people

1 teaspoon white pepper corns

1/2 teaspoon salt   

6 cloves garlic

1 tablespoon fresh ginger

½ tablespoon lime zest

2 tablespoons light soya sauce

2 tablespoons light palm sugar

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Coriander to garnish

In mortar and pestle, crush the white pepper, add garlic, salt, ginger and lime zest and pound to a paste.

Transfer mixture to bowl, stir in soya sauces, sugar and vegetable oil. Add chicken, toss to coat well and marinate for minimum of 2 hours or overnight.

Barbeque or grill at medium heat, turning often. Transfer to serving platter, garnish with coriander and serve with pepper lime dip.

Pepper Lime Dip:

Juice of 2 limes

1 tablespoon ground white peppercorns

½ teaspoon sea salt

Combine all three ingredients and stir until salt is dissolved.

Either dip the chicken pieces or spread them with the dip.

My Asian Salad

I put this over any mix of julienne vegetables including: carrots, cucumber (seeds removed), bean sprouts, red and yellow peppers, chilli and always include loads of fresh Asian mint, coriander, basil and finely chopped shallots.

If you want to dress it up add crushed peanuts, crispy shallots (from your Asian grocer), shredded green pawpaw or green mango.  I’ve even used ripe mango if I’m serving this salad with prawns and it all works.

The dressing

1 large red chilli

2 cloves of garlic, chopped

1 tablespoons fish sauce, to taste

2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice

1 teaspoons palm sugar, to taste

Pound the chopped chillies and garlic together until forming a paste texture. Transfer to a bowl, add the fish sauce, lime juice and sugar to taste. Stir well to mix. Adjust the flavours so that the sauce is equally salty and sour with a light touch of sweetness.

Let the sauce sit for at least 15 minutes before using, to allow the flavours to merge.

Enjoy

Love Mary