Ward's Thai Chicken Kabobs

When I first revealed my idea of combining chicken kabobs with rice and curry to make a Thai dish, I was told, "Kabobs aren't Thai." No, the method of cooking meat skewered with vegetables is not particularly Asian, but that's exactly why I think it's interesting. Coating the chicken in an Asian marinade and then serving atop rice smothered in curry struck me as a great hybrid. What better way to celebrate this Memorial Day weekend than importing some Southeast Asian food and globalizing some American chicken? So I present to you now: Ward's Thai Chicken Kabobs (complete with terrible Photoshop art).

The marinade is created thusly: stir together two tablespoons of sesame oil, 1/4 cup of soy sauce, 1/4 cup of rice vinegar, 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder, 2 teaspoons of ginger, and 1/2 teaspoon of ground red pepper. Thoroughly coat the chicken cut in 1-inch squares and leave them covered until ready to skewer and cook (which we'll do last). For vegetables, I cut up half a red and half a yellow bell pepper and added some sliced pineapple. Another idea to try instead of this marinade is the one from the Thai chicken pizza of a few months back. Be creative!

Prepare the rice with your favorite method. I used two cups of rice (a lot of rice!) with four cups of water. Cook covered and over low heat for fifteen minutes. Feel free to buy another bag of rice and just throw it away. That's how America rolls: screw food shortages in other countries! I wanted to make a yellow curry, but it's damn hard finding curry paste where I live. If you happen to have access to a Southeast Asian friend to help you, please make something authentic! Otherwise, combine 7 ounces of coconut milk with a tablespoon of curry paste and half a teaspoon of curry powder. Feel free to double this quantity if serving more than two. Simmer the curry over low heat for five minutes.

Once the rice and curry are good to go, put the kabobs over a grill of some sort and cook for four or five minutes per side. It can be tough to get the heat into the center of the chicken if the pieces are resting up above the grill, so you may need a few more minutes of rotation. On a plate, pile up a big ol' mess of rice, top with your grilled chicken and vegetables, and cover in the curry. Eat it! If you try this recipe, please let me know how it was and what I can do to improve it. Most of the ingredients listed are pulled from previous/other meals as well as my own (limited) intuition. It can be hard, but try and get all the parts finished at the same time; cold rice and curry do not a great addition make.