2 lemon grass stalks
3 fresh green chiles, seeded and chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
3 scallions, chopped
1 handful cilantro leaves
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp ground white pepper
1/2 tsp turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
grated zest 1 lime
3 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 tbsp fish sauce
1/2 cup (120ml) coconut milk
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, butterflied
salt, black pepper
1 recipe fresh papaya sambal (see Sauces), optional

Method

Butterfly the chicken breasts; with one hand on the breast half to hold it in place, slice through the middle horizontally to cut almost in half. Open out flat.

Remove and discard the tough outer skin from the lemon grass stalks and roughly chop. Put lemon grass, chilles, garlic, scallion, cilantro, cumin, pepper, turmeric, ground goriander, lime zest, lime juice, ginger, fish
sauce and coconut milk in food processor or blender; pulse until smooth.

In a bowl, toss chicken with lemon grass mixture.

Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Grill according to instructions below. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Serve hot with fresh papaya sambal, optional.

Outdoor on the barbecue
Grill over medium-hot coals until the chicken is opaque, with no trace of pink, 3 minutes per side.

Indoor
Preheat broiler. Broil until the chicken is opaque, with no trace of pink, 3 minutes per side.

Think ahead
Make marinade up to 3 days in advance. Cover and refrigerate. Marinade chicken up to 4 hours in advance. Cover and refrigerate.

Makes 4 servings.

Barbecue Chicken Tenderness Tips

Avoid freezing whenever possible to eliminate additional moisture loss during thawing, which results in less tender meat.

Keep chicken from drying out in the refrigerator by keeping it tightly wrapped. If the chicken dries out, it will become tough.

Leaving the skin on the chicken, when cooking it, helps to hold in juices, which increases tenderness.

To keep breast area of chicken from drying out during roasting, place a piece of foil over this area. Remove during last 30 minutes of roasting time to allow the skin to brown properly.