INDICA INSTITUTE

Grilled Coconut Curry Chicken with Claypot Rice and Gai Lan Ingredients: * 6 to 8 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs * Kosher salt * 3 to 4 tbsp curry powder * Olive oil * 1/2 large carrot, halved lengthwise and cut into half discs * 1 large knob ginger, peeled and cut into thin discs * 3 cloves garlic, smashed * 1 whole yellow onion, peeled and halved * Scallions, ends and most of the greens removed, rough chopped * 1 stalk lemongrass, top third removed, bulb smashed * Neutral oil * 2 cups coconut milk * 1 cup chicken stock * 1 tbsp fish sauce * 1 tbsp soy sauce * Pinch of salt * 1 tsp MSG * Rice and water for the claypot * 1/4 cup scalding hot beef tallow * 1 bunch gai lan, bottoms trimmed * 1 tbsp oyster sauce Method: * Heavily season thighs on both sides with kosher salt and 2 to 3 tbsp curry powder, working it in. Drizzle with olive oil, work it in again, flip skin side up and refrigerate at least 1 hour, up to overnight * Prep all the vegetables as listed * Fire up the charcoal grill. Grill thighs until nicely coloured and charred, about 80 percent cooked through. Pull off and cut into quarters with scissors. Big chunks * Blanch gai lan in boiling salted water for about 1 minute, then transfer to an ice bath * Heat a clay pot on the grill and add neutral oil. Add carrot, ginger, garlic, scallions and lemongrass and saute 3 to 4 minutes. Meanwhile, grill the onion halves flush side down until deeply charred, then add to the pot * Return the chicken to the pot. Add coconut milk, chicken stock, 1 tbsp curry powder, fish sauce, soy sauce, a pinch of salt and the MSG. Simmer about 30 minutes, then pull off the heat * Claypot rice, 5-5-5 method: 5 minutes boiling with the lid off, 5 minutes with the lid on and the temperature dropped, then 5 minutes off the heat with the lid on. At the end of the second 5, pour the scalding hot beef tallow along the edge of the lid so it drizzles down and crisps the bottom of the rice * Return the curry to the grill to bring it back up to temperature * Toss the gai lan with oyster sauce and a little olive oil, grill briefly, then plate everything up