- 1 cup canned unsweetened coconut milk
- 3 shallots, chopped
- 3 garlic cloves
- 2 lemongrass stalks (bottom third only, tough outer layers removed), finely chopped
- 2 jalapeños, stemmed
- 1 1″ piece ginger, peeled, chopped
- 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 2 tablespoons tamarind juice concentrate (not paste or pulp) or 1 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 1 tablespoons fish sauce (such as nuoc nam or nam pla)
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon turmeric
- 3 pounds whole chicken wings
- Vegetable oil (for grill)
- Lime wedges
- Combine coconut milk, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, jalapeños, ginger, lime juice, tamarind juice, fish sauce, kosher salt, turmeric, and 1 cup water in a blender. Purée mixture until a smooth marinade forms.
- Place chicken wings in a large baking dish. Pour marinade over; turn wings to coat evenly. Cover chicken and chill overnight.
- Remove chicken from marinade, shaking any excess marinade back into dish. Transfer chicken to a large platter. Let stand at room temperature for 15 minutes.
- Transfer marinade to a large saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until marinade thickens, 10-15 minutes. Pour half of marinade into a small bowl; set aside for basting chicken while it grills. Keep remaining marinade in saucepan; cover and keep warm until ready to serve the chicken.
- Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Oil grill grates to prevent sticking. Grill chicken wings, turning every 5 minutes and basting occasionally with marinade in small bowl, until fat is rendered and skin is nicely charred in spots, 30-35 minutes. (The key here is to turn the wings often so the skin doesn't burn.)
- Continue cooking chicken without basting (so it will get crisp) until wings are cooked through, about 10 minutes longer.
- Transfer chicken to a large platter and let it rest for 5 minutes. Squeeze lime wedges over wings. Transfer marinade in saucepan to a small bowl. Serve warm marinade alongside chicken as a dipping sauce.