Malaysian-Style Grilled Lemon Grass Chicken (Ayam Percik)

In her kitchen in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia, home cook Annie Zainal Abidin taught us her method for making ayam percik, or chicken seasoned with turmeric and lemon grass and finished with a subtly tangy-sweet but rich coconut sauce. We learned there are regional versions of the dish and, to boot, many ways to approach the cooking, including two-step methods such as sear-then-roast or simmer-then-fry. We were fans of Abidin’s simple, straightforward, one-step oven-only technique, so we adapted it for an outdoor grill. Cooking over flames imparts delicious charred, smoky notes to the bone-in chicken parts, which have been smeared with an aromatic paste. We reserve some of that paste for use as the foundation of the sauce that is served with the chicken. For convenience or if you’re not ready to grill after the chicken is seasoned and the sauce is made, the parts can be covered and refrigerated for a few hours, and the sauce can be cooled and refrigerated. Let the chicken stand at room temperature while you prepare the grill so it isn’t cold when it goes onto the grill, and give the sauce a couple extra minutes to rewarm while the chicken rests after cooking. Steamed jasmine rice is an excellent accompaniment.