Father’s Day.
It’s always held such an ambiguous place in my life.
To say that I’ve had somewhat distant relationships with the father figures in my life, my three stepfathers, is putting it mildly. I never knew my biological father.
It’s not to say that I don’t have fond memories of the person I’ve thought of as my father for most of my life, my first step-dad, Yingsak Panichkul.
He wasn’t an affectionate man. I don’t have memories of tight hugs, sitting on his lap, or even holding hands with him as a small child growing up in Los Angeles. There was always this distance between us, but then there were also flashes of warmth. The affectionate greeting he allowed himself to offer came in the form of a nearly daily wrestling match when he would come home, take off his tie, wrestle me to the floor and tickle me as I struggled to fight back. At some point, he would have me in a headlock with one arm while tickling me with his free hand until I bit his arm and he would let go.
On special weekends, he treated us to one of his favorite foods: Thai Boxing Square Chicken, named after the public park in front of the Royal Palace in Bangkok, Thailand, where I was born. The park turned into a huge food market on weekends. He would fire up the grill and the smell of the cooking chicken would wrest my attention from whatever mischief I was up to at the time.
Whenever I make Boxing Square Chicken now, I can look back and savor the memories of those wrestling matches with Dad.
Thai Boxing Square Chicken
Serves 4
Ingredients
7 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
1 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons mirin (sweet seasoned rice wine vinegar)
4 tablespoons coconut milk
2 tablespoons Maggi Seasoning (available at Asian grocery stores)
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
Juice of 1 lime
1½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 whole chicken, butterflied or cut into pieces
Directions
Pound together in a mortar and pestle or purée in a food processor garlic, ginger, and cilantro. Whisk together with remaining ingredients. Coat chicken and marinate in the fridge for at least an hour. (We marinate overnight.) Cook on charcoal grill until done and serve.