Grilled Turmeric Chicken

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons finely-chopped cilantro stems or 2 cilantro roots
• 2 teaspoons whole white peppercorns
• 2 teaspoons whole coriander seeds
• 4 large cloves garlic, peeled
• 3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 3 tablespoons fish sauce
• 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon ground turmeric
• 2 tablespoons light or dark brown sugar

Directions

1. Put the cilantro, white pepper, coriander, and garlic into a mortar and pestle, then pound them into a smooth, fine paste. If you prefer, use a small food processor and blend until the mixture becomes a fine paste.
2. Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes and move it to a large mixing bowl. Add the fish sauce, then the oyster sauce, ground turmeric, brown sugar, and the paste you just made. Stir until everything is well coated, cover the bowl, and chill it for 1 to 2 hours.
3. Slide the chicken pieces onto bamboo skewers, pressing them close together so each skewer has a snug, compact line of meat.
4. Start 1 chimney full of charcoal. Once the coals are lit and coated with gray ash, pour them out and spread them over the entire charcoal grate. Put the cooking grate in place, cover the grill, and let it heat for 5 minutes. If you are using a gas grill instead, turn the burners to medium-high, cover, and preheat for 10 minutes. Clean the grilling grate and oil it.
5. Grill the chicken, turning the skewers from time to time, until the meat is cooked through and lightly charred, about 8 minutes total. Take the chicken off the grill and serve.