Island Chicken

I was feeling something different for dinner the other night, but all I had defrosted was a package of 8 chicken thighs.  Boooooring!!  Fortunately, I recalled that they lend themselves very well to marinades.  I'm saved!  Let's whip one up!

I'm calling this concoction "Island Chicken."  It reminds me of some of the jerk chicken I've had in the past, but I didn't use any peppers (scotch bonnet, in particular) so it wasn't as spicy as jerk would have been.  Plus, there are a few different ingredients in this mix that I don't believe a typical jerk marinade has (like Coke...the "real thing.")  Either way, it turned out awesome and I want to share it with you guys!

Start this process either the evening before the day you want to eat or early in the morning on the day you want this for dinner.  Timing is everything!  First, lay your chicken thighs on a sheet pan and liberally coat them with salt.  This helps to flavor the chicken and keeps it juicy.  Don't worry, we'll wash it off in about 30 minutes, once it's done it's job.

Grab your blender.  Sounds fun already, doesn't it?  Anything involving a blender is just bound to be a good time!  Into the blender, add a roughly chopped onion, 4 peeled garlic cloves, an inch or so of peeled fresh ginger, 1/2 cup vinegar, 1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice, 1/3 cup fresh lime juice, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp. of either Coca Cola or root beer, 1/4 cup vegetable oil, and a couple shakes of liquid smoke (if you've got it...it's optional.) 

 

Blend it all together until smooth. 

Now for the spices!  Add the following to the blender: 2 tsp. allspice, 1 tbsp. thyme, 1 tbsp. sugar, 2 tsp. cayenne pepper, 2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper, 1 tsp. nutmeg, and 1 tsp. cinnamon. 

Blend on high for at least a minute to make sure all the spices are incorporated.  It will not look very appetizing (truth be told, most marinades don't!), but just wait til you get a whiff! 

I know what you're thinking, but juuuuust wait...

 

Rinse the salt off your chicken thighs and transfer them to a deep dish.  Cover them completely with the marinade and let them sit as long as possible in your fridge.  8 hours minimum is great, but I know we don't all have that kind of time!  Do what you can do.

 

See? Looking better already!

 

(Fast forward to some time in the future...)  Now that the chicken has had time to soak up all those flavors, it's time to grill it!  Heat up your grill to medium heat and transfer the chicken on to the grates.  It will need 10-12 minutes of cooking time on each side.  You can use a portion of the marinade to baste with.  While the chicken's hanging out and getting basted, pour the rest of the marinade into a saucepan and boil it for 10 minutes on your stovetop.  Use it as a dipping sauce for the chicken once it's done.  Oooo baby!

 

Chicken meets grill...sizzling!

 

I served up our chicken with rice and roasted broccoli because I find that each item soaks up the sauce very efficiently.  In addition, a nice glass of Riesling helped temper some of the spiciness.  See that?  A wine pairing!  Now I'm getting all fancy! 

 

How's my plating?  I'm working on that.

 

I really think you're going to enjoy this dish.  There are so many flavors to savor!  Just a warning...it's a lil bit spicy so make sure you're prepared!  If you're not a spicy flavor fan, use less cayenne pepper in your marinade. 

 

Try it.  You'll like it.

 

-Sam

 

 

Island Chicken

 

8 chicken thighs

1 medium onion

4 cloves garlic

1 inch fresh ginger

1/2 c vinegar

1/2 c fresh orange juice

1/3 c fresh lime juice

1/4 c soy sauce

2 tbsp. Coke or root beer

1/4 tsp liquid smoke (if desired)

1/4 c vegetable oil

2 tsp. allspice

1 tbsp. thyme

1 tbsp. sugar

2 tsp. cayenne pepper

2 tsp. fresh ground black pepper

1 tsp. nutmeg

1 tsp. cinnamon

 

Place chicken on a plate or sheet pan and salt liberally.  Let rest for 30 minutes. 

 

In a blender, add all remaining ingredients and blend on high for a minute or longer, until smooth.

 

Rinse salt from chicken and transfer to a deep dish.  Pour marinade over chicken and place in fridge for at least 6 hours, preferably overnight. 

 

Once ready to cook, transfer the chicken to a medium-hot grill, reserving the marinade.  Grill the chicken for 10-12 minutes per side until cooked through, basting with a portion of the marinade.  Transfer remaining marinade to a saucepan and boil for 10 minutes.  Serve sauce on the side.