Individual Toasted Coconut & Lemongrass Bread Puddings

Several textures play well together here: The rich custard and soft bread are perfect foils for the crisp, toasty coconut.

• 
  
  1 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
  
  


• 
  
  6 cups 1/2-inch-cubed white sandwich bread, preferably Pepperidge Farm Hearty White (about 8 slices)
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups half-and-half
  
  


• 
  
  13-1/2- or 14-oz. can coconut milk
  
  


• 
  
  3 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed of root ends and tops, leaving 4-inch-long sections, thinly sliced crosswise
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  6 large eggs
  
  


• 
  
  1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. softened unsalted butter for the ramekins
  
  

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the coconut in a thin layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring twice, until dark brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Put the bread cubes on the same baking sheet, spread in a single layer, and bake, stirring halfway through, until a pale golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes total. Let the bread cool on the baking sheet. (Turn the oven off.)

Meanwhile, in a 2- or 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the half-and-half, coconut milk, 2/3 cup of the toasted coconut, the lemongrass, and a pinch of salt to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 45 minutes. Pour through a coarse strainer set over a medium glass measuring cup or bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much of the liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Slowly pour in the warm half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. Toss in the bread and push it down with a spoon to submerge it. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until the bread is softened. Butter eight 8-fl.-oz. ramekins. Divide the bread mixture evenly among the buttered ramekins and pour any remaining custard over the top of each.

Heat the oven to 325°F. Have ready a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to accommodate the ramekins. Put on a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.

Set the ramekins in the roasting pan and put it in the oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is set, 30 to 35 minutes. (To check, cut into a pudding with a paring knife and peek into the center—the custard shouldn’t be runny.) Carefully remove the ramekins from the pan and let them cool slightly on a wire rack.

Sprinkle the puddings with the remaining 1/3 cup toasted coconut and serve.

Barbecue-Braised Thai Chicken Legs with Lemongrass Glaze

Lemongrass adds a wonderful fragrance to this dish. To prepare it, trim off the tops and enough of the bottoms that you no longer see a woody core and then remove the tough outer leaves. Thinly slice the remaining light-green stalks crosswise and then finely chop them.

For the chicken:

• 
  
  2 tsp. ground turmeric
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. cayenne
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  6 whole skin-on chicken legs
  
  

For the braising liquid and glaze:

• 
  
  2 tsp. peanut oil
  
  


• 
  
  1 cup finely chopped scallions (white and light-green parts only)
  
  


• 
  
  1/3 cup finely chopped lemongrass (1 to 2 large or 3 medium stalks)
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. minced garlic
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. Thai green curry paste
  
  


• 
  
  3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. Asian fish sauce
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  

For serving:

• 
  
  1-1/2 cups Thai jasmine rice, cooked
  
  

Season

In a small bowl, combine the turmeric, ginger, coriander, cayenne, and 1 tsp. salt. Rub all over the chicken legs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Sear

Prepare a gas grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Grill the legs until they begin to brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side (watch carefully for flare-ups). Set aside.

Braise

Prepare the grill for indirect grilling. In an 8-quart heavy-duty pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and stir for 1 minute. Add the lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste until the vegetables are evenly coated. Add the broth, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Nestle the chicken legs into the braising liquid. Set the pot on the grill over the cool zone. Cover the pot, close the grill lid, and cook until the legs are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a tray.

Pour the braising liquid into a heatproof vessel, such as a Pyrex measuring cup, and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Skim off and discard the fat.

Glaze

Prepare the grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Strain enough of the braising liquid to yield 1 cup and boil over medium heat in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup glaze, about 15 minutes. (Return the strained solids to the remaining cooking liquid).

Brush some of the glaze over one side of each chicken leg and grill glazed side down until the glaze begins to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush the other side of the legs with glaze and flip them over—the skin may stick to the grill a bit, so gently pry up any stuck areas before you flip. Grill until browned on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, reheat the remaining cooking liquid if necessary and season to taste with salt. Put some rice in each of 6 serving bowls, lean a leg against the rice, and ladle in some of the cooking liquid.

Grilled Thai Chicken Breasts with Herb-Lemongrass Crust

Before chopping the lemongrass, be sure to cut off the spiky green top and enough of the bottom to eliminate the woody core. Peel off a few of the outer layers until you’re left with just the tender heart of the stalk.

• 
  
  1-1/2 cups chopped fresh cilantro (leaves and tender stems)
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 cup coconut milk
  
  


• 
  
  1/4 cup finely chopped lemongrass (from about 2 stalks)
  
  


• 
  
  12 fresh basil leaves
  
  


• 
  
  3 Thai bird chiles, 2 jalapeños, or 2 medium serranos, stemmed, seeded, and finely chopped
  
  


• 
  
  3 cloves garlic, minced
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 Tbs. kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. packed light brown sugar
  
  


• 
  
  1-1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
  
  


• 
  
  3/4 tsp. ground coriander
  
  


• 
  
  12 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (5 to 5-1/2 lb.), trimmed (remove the tenderloins if still attached)
  
  


• 
  
  2 limes, cut into wedges for serving
  
  

Combine 1-1/4 cups of the cilantro with the coconut milk, lemongrass, basil, chiles, garlic, salt, brown sugar, pepper, and coriander in a food processor or blender and purée until smooth. Arrange the chicken breasts in a nonreactive baking dish or other vessel large enough to accommodate them in a snug single layer. Pour the marinade over the breasts and turn to coat them well. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 1 day.

Heat a gas grill to medium high or prepare a medium-hot charcoal fire. Grill the chicken (covered on a gas grill) until it has good grill marks on the first side, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip the chicken (cover a gas grill) and continue to cook until firm to the touch and completely cooked through (check by making a slice into one of the thicker breasts), 5 to 6 more minutes. Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup cilantro and serve with the lime wedges.

Individual Toasted Coconut & Lemongrass Bread Puddings

Several textures play well together here: The rich custard and soft bread are perfect foils for the crisp, toasty coconut.

• 
  
  1 cup unsweetened dried shredded coconut
  
  


• 
  
  6 cups 1/2-inch-cubed white sandwich bread, preferably Pepperidge Farm Hearty White (about 8 slices)
  
  


• 
  
  2 cups half-and-half
  
  


• 
  
  13-1/2- or 14-oz. can coconut milk
  
  


• 
  
  3 stalks fresh lemongrass, trimmed of root ends and tops, leaving 4-inch-long sections, thinly sliced crosswise
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  6 large eggs
  
  


• 
  
  1/3 cup granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. softened unsalted butter for the ramekins
  
  

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 350°F.

Spread the coconut in a thin layer on a large rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, stirring twice, until dark brown, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate to cool. Put the bread cubes on the same baking sheet, spread in a single layer, and bake, stirring halfway through, until a pale golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes total. Let the bread cool on the baking sheet. (Turn the oven off.)

Meanwhile, in a 2- or 3-quart saucepan over medium-high heat, bring the half-and-half, coconut milk, 2/3 cup of the toasted coconut, the lemongrass, and a pinch of salt to a simmer. Remove from the heat, cover, and let stand for 45 minutes. Pour through a coarse strainer set over a medium glass measuring cup or bowl, pressing hard on the solids to extract as much of the liquid as possible.

In a large bowl, whisk together the eggs and sugar. Slowly pour in the warm half-and-half mixture, whisking constantly. Toss in the bread and push it down with a spoon to submerge it. Let stand for 30 minutes, or until the bread is softened. Butter eight 8-fl.-oz. ramekins. Divide the bread mixture evenly among the buttered ramekins and pour any remaining custard over the top of each.

Heat the oven to 325°F. Have ready a roasting pan or baking dish large enough to accommodate the ramekins. Put on a kettle of water to boil for the water bath.

Set the ramekins in the roasting pan and put it in the oven. Carefully pour enough boiling water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Bake until the custard is set, 30 to 35 minutes. (To check, cut into a pudding with a paring knife and peek into the center—the custard shouldn’t be runny.) Carefully remove the ramekins from the pan and let them cool slightly on a wire rack.

Sprinkle the puddings with the remaining 1/3 cup toasted coconut and serve.

Barbecue-Braised Thai Chicken Legs with Lemongrass Glaze

Lemongrass adds a wonderful fragrance to this dish. To prepare it, trim off the tops and enough of the bottoms that you no longer see a woody core and then remove the tough outer leaves. Thinly slice the remaining light-green stalks crosswise and then finely chop them.

For the chicken:

• 
  
  2 tsp. ground turmeric
  
  


• 
  
  1 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. ground coriander
  
  


• 
  
  1/2 tsp. cayenne
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  


• 
  
  6 whole skin-on chicken legs
  
  

For the braising liquid and glaze:

• 
  
  2 tsp. peanut oil
  
  


• 
  
  1 cup finely chopped scallions (white and light-green parts only)
  
  


• 
  
  1/3 cup finely chopped lemongrass (1 to 2 large or 3 medium stalks)
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. minced garlic
  
  


• 
  
  2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. Thai green curry paste
  
  


• 
  
  3 cups lower-salt chicken broth
  
  


• 
  
  2 Tbs. Asian fish sauce
  
  


• 
  
  1 Tbs. granulated sugar
  
  


• 
  
  Kosher salt
  
  

For serving:

• 
  
  1-1/2 cups Thai jasmine rice, cooked
  
  

Season

In a small bowl, combine the turmeric, ginger, coriander, cayenne, and 1 tsp. salt. Rub all over the chicken legs. Cover and refrigerate for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.

Sear

Prepare a gas grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Grill the legs until they begin to brown on both sides, 3 to 5 minutes per side (watch carefully for flare-ups). Set aside.

Braise

Prepare the grill for indirect grilling. In an 8-quart heavy-duty pot, heat the oil over medium heat. Add the scallions and stir for 1 minute. Add the lemongrass and stir for 1 minute. Add the garlic and ginger and stir for 1 minute. Stir in the curry paste until the vegetables are evenly coated. Add the broth, fish sauce, and sugar and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat.

Nestle the chicken legs into the braising liquid. Set the pot on the grill over the cool zone. Cover the pot, close the grill lid, and cook until the legs are tender, about 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a tray.

Pour the braising liquid into a heatproof vessel, such as a Pyrex measuring cup, and let sit until the fat rises to the top. Skim off and discard the fat.

Glaze

Prepare the grill for direct grilling over medium heat. Strain enough of the braising liquid to yield 1 cup and boil over medium heat in a small saucepan until reduced to 1/4 cup glaze, about 15 minutes. (Return the strained solids to the remaining cooking liquid).

Brush some of the glaze over one side of each chicken leg and grill glazed side down until the glaze begins to color, 2 to 3 minutes. Brush the other side of the legs with glaze and flip them over—the skin may stick to the grill a bit, so gently pry up any stuck areas before you flip. Grill until browned on the second side, 2 to 3 minutes.

To serve, reheat the remaining cooking liquid if necessary and season to taste with salt. Put some rice in each of 6 serving bowls, lean a leg against the rice, and ladle in some of the cooking liquid.