Gai Tod Hat Yai

Pailin Chongchitnant’s selected gai tod Hat Yai follows the southern Thai style associated with her hometown. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs have a thin crisp rice-flour coating and are served with the style’s characteristic fried shallots.

Garlic, selected white peppercorns and cilantro stems are pounded with sugar, then mixed with Thai soy sauce, fish sauce and water. Incisions beside the thigh bones allow the marinade to reach the thicker parts of the meat.

The selected own shallots are sliced across into fine rings, lightly salted and dried before frying. Once golden, they are lifted out and drained; the same frying oil is kept for the chicken.

Rice flour is mixed into the marinated chicken to make a thin coating, with more flour or a little water used only as needed. The thighs are fried in the shallot-flavoured oil and turned during cooking until browned.

The chicken cools briefly before it is eaten with the fried shallots. Sticky rice and prepared sweet-chili sauce are optional accompaniments, while the author also describes green papaya salad as a familiar companion to Thai fried meats.