thai sticky chicken ribs

Cuisine

Marinate this Thai street food favourite the night before for maximum flavour

3 small green chillies, chopped
small bunch coriander with stems, stems chopped and leaves used for the dipping sauce
3 garlic cloves, chopped
3cm/1 ¼ inch piece ginger, chopped
1 tsp ground turmeric
2 tbsp soy sauce
4 tbsp fish sauce
8 tbsp palm or soft brown sugar
2 tbsp clear honey
4 chicken thighs, skin on
2 slabs pork loin ribs, about 1kg/2lb 4oz
steamed rice, to serve
200g caster sugar
1 garlic clove, finely sliced
3 tbsp white vinegar (rice or wine)
juice 1 lime
1 tbsp fish sauce
1 red bird's-eye chilli, finely sliced
handful coriander leaves (from coriander in the marinade), chopped

To make the marinade, put the chillies, coriander stalks, garlic, ginger, turmeric, soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and honey in a food processor. Whizz to a rough paste. Cut each chicken thigh into 2 pieces down the side of bone (so one side keeps the bone). Put all the chicken and ribs in a ceramic dish or suitable plastic container and pour over the marinade. Turn the meat over so it is coated, cover and put it in the fridge until needed (up to 24 hrs).
Make the sauce. Put the sugar in a pan with 250ml water, bring to the boil, simmer for a few mins to make a sugar syrup, then stir in garlic, vinegar, lime juice, fish sauce and chilli. Cool, then stir in coriander. Will keep for 24 hrs in the fridge.
Heat oven to 160C/140C fan/gas 3. Lift the ribs into a baking dish, cover with foil and put in the oven for 1 hr. Add the chicken pieces around the ribs, turn up the oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 and cook, uncovered, for 20 mins or so until the chicken is cooked through. By now the surface of the ribs and chicken should be quite brown and the marinade slightly sticky; if it isn’t, put the lot under the grill – but keep an eye on it.
Cut the ribs into sections and pile onto a platter with the chicken, drizzle over some sauce and serve the rest alongside with the salad and some steamed rice.