Thai-style Grilled Chicken Breasts

If you can’t find fish sauce, substitute a combination of 2 minced anchovy fillets and 2 tablespoons soy sauce.

1/2 cup white vinegar

1/3 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes

1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves

2 tablespoons fish sauce (see note)

1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger

3 cloves garlic, minced

4 whole chicken breast, boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Salt

pepper



Directions:



1. Heat vinegar, sugar, and pepper flakes in small saucepan over medium-high heat until sugar dissolves, about 1 minute. Off heat, stir in cilantro, fish sauce, ginger, and garlic.



2. Rub chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper. Grill over hot fire until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer to platter and brush with 1/4 cup sauce. Tent with foil and let rest 5 minutes. Serve, passing remaining sauce at table.





Notes:

We’re always looking for ways to dress up versatile chicken breasts. A fast, flavorful Thai-style sauce pairs well with tender, juicy chicken cooked on the grill. Here’s what we discovered:

* Pat the chicken dry with paper towels before cooking. If wet, the chicken will stick to the grill and cook improperly.

* When it comes to fish sauce—a very potent and pungent Asian condiment made of the liquid from salted, fermented fish—color correlates with flavor; the lighter the sauce you buy, the lighter the flavor. Most supermarkets carry the lighter colored (and flavored) brands.

* If you can’t find any fish sauce, 2 minced anchovy fillets combined with 2 tablespoons soy sauce will work just as well.

* For color and bite, we added some fresh cilantro and red pepper flakes to the sauce. Keep in mind that cilantro becomes soapy-tasting if chopped in advance, so we recommend chopping this herb right before adding it to the sauce.

* Boneless chicken breasts can get dry on the grill. For tender, juicy meat, quickly grill the chicken breasts over high heat. Pay close attention to the chicken as it grills, since boneless meat cooks much faster than bone-in chicken.

* Brushing the chicken breasts with some of the sauce as they come off the grill and allowing them to rest allows the flavors to come together before serving.