[cilantro grilled chicken breast]

I wanted something simple and foolproof, so I found this.  

Turns out it's damn good.

1 pound (2 large breasts) boneless skinless chicken breast, butterflied
2 tablespoons grapeseed or olive oil
salt & pepper
2 tablespoons Cilantro Herb Butter, recipe follows

Preheat a grill.  Prep the coals (if using charcoal) to indirectly cook the chicken.  Lightly coat chicken with oil and sprinkle each evenly on both sides with salt and pepper. Grill chicken breasts for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side, or until thoroughly cooked; the meat should be solid white throughout and the internal temperature will read 165 degrees F. Remove from grill and immediately cover with foil while the chicken rests.  To serve: top with 1 Tbsp of the cilantro herb butter on each breast.

Cilantro Butter:
1 stick unsalted butter, softened
1/2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced red onion

2 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
Dash Worcestershire sauce
1 lemon, juiced
1 Tbsp white wine
 

In a bowl or mixer, whisk all ingredients until thoroughly combined. (I prefer to use my stand mixer and whip the butter mixture).  Refrigerate until ready to use.

[australian beer-barbecued wings]

based on 'Austrailian Beer-Barbecued Wings' by Steven Raichlen

wing with sauce

Note: prep takes 4 hours for marinating the wings

12-16 whole chicken wings

1/4 cup peanut oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce

1/4 cup Foster's Premium Beer

1 tsp salt

1 tsp black pepper

BBQ Sauce

2 Tbsp peanut oil

1 small onion, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ground ginger

3/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1 cup ketchup

1/3 cup Foster's Premium Beer

2 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp packed brown sugar

1 Tbsp honey

2 tsp soy sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp black pepper

Rinse the wings under cool running tap water.  Drain and blot with paper towels.  Make two or three deep slashes, to the bone, in the meaty part of each wing.  In a large non reactive bowl mix the following: 1/4 cup of peanut oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce, 1/4 cup of beer, the salt and the 1 tsp of pepper.  Add the wings to the mixture and toss to coat.  Cover the bowl and marinate in the fridge for 4 hours, turning occasionally.  

About an hour before the chicken is finished marinating, start making the BBQ Sauce.  Heat the 2 Tbsp of peanut oil in a medium-size saucepan over medium heat.  Add the onion, garlic, ginger and hot pepper flakes and cook, stirring with a wooden spoon, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the ketchup, 1/3 cup of beer, 2 Tbsp of lemon juice, 2 Tbsp of Worcestershire sauce, 2 Tbsp of vinegar, brown sugar, honey, soy sauce, mustard, and 1/2 tsp of pepper and bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to medium/low and let the sauce simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.   Remove the BBQ sauce from the heat and let sit until ready to use.  

beer barbecued wings

As the chicken is reaching it's 4 hour marinating time, start the grill and get the heat to medium/high.  (We use charcoal - takes about a half hour to prep).  Pull the wings from their marinating sauce, (toss the sauce the chicken was marinating in), and place on the hot grill, trying to spread the wings as much as possible to expose all the skin.  Grill the wings, flipping several times, for 11 minutes.  (Watch for hot spots: grill marks = good, burned skin = bad).  Divide the BBQ sauce and use half for the wings.  Brush the sauce onto the wings and grill for 5 minutes, flipping and brushing on more sauce halfway through.  Chicken should no longer be pink in the center.  Remove the chicken from the grill and place the on a platter.  Cover the platter with foil and let the chicken sit for 5-10 minutes to let juices run clear and the chicken rest.  

Serve with the reserved sauce for dipping.  Cut up some celery and serve with Blue Cheese Vegetable Dip (for the celery and wings).

[sake it to me chicken]

Serves 2-4

adapted from Steven Raichlen's recipe 'Sake Chicken' from the recipe book 'Beer-Can Chicken and 74 Other Offbeat Recipes for the Grill'

Just pick one

For the rub: 

2 tsp sesame seeds

2 tsp wasabi powder

2 tsp coarse salt

1 tsp ground black pepper

1 chicken (3 1/2-4 pounds)

2 Tbsp sesame oil

3/4 cup sake

1-2 tsp lemon zest

Lime Teriyaki Glaze (recipe below)

1 clean empty 12oz beer can

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Make the rub.  Put the sesame seeds, wasabi powder, salt and pepper into a spice mill or clean coffee grinder.  Grind to a fine powder.  

Wash the chicken with room temperature water and dry with paper towels.  Sprinkle half the rub into the cavity of the chicken.  Drizzle 1 Tbsp of sesame oil on the outside of the chicken and rub the rest of the rub into the skin.

Make two additional holes to the top of the clean beer can with a knife or bottle opener.  Using a funnel, pour the sake into the can of beer and add the lemon zest through the opening.  Place the beer can (now filled with lemon zest and sake) upright into a large Pyrex Pan.  Carefully hold the chicken upright, with the opening of the cavity at the bottom, and lower it onto the beer can so the can fits into the cavity.  Place the Pyrex pan with the chicken carefully into the oven and cook for 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Baste the chicken with the leftover 1 Tbsp sesame oil before the final 30 minutes.  (Cook until chicken has reached 180 degrees internally).

 

Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 10 minutes.  Carefully remove the can from the chicken and cut the chicken to serve.  Serve with the Lime Teriyaki Glaze for dipping.

Teriyaki Lime Glaze:

1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce

1 cup sugar

2 cloves garlic, peeled and flattened with a large knife or cleaver

1/4 cup fresh lime juice

Combine the soy sauce, sugar and garlic in a medium saucepan and stir to mix.  Cook over medium-high heat, stirring often with a wooden spoon, until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is thick, 4-6 minutes.

Stir in the lime juice and briskly simmer until the glaze thickens slightly, 5 minutes.  (It will thicken more as it cools).  Remove from the heat and let it sit, covered, until the chicken has finished cooking.  When you remove the chicken from the oven, discard the garlic before pouring the glaze into a large bowl or individual dipping bowls.

[spatchcocked jack daniels chicken]

I made this up based on a meatball BBQ sauce I had and our love of Jack Daniels - and a spatchcocked chicken recipe I read once... we LOVE it - enjoy.

Heat 1/2 cup Jack Daniels in a medium saucepan on medium-high heat.  Let simmer until reduced by half.

Remove from heat and add the following to the warm saucepan:

1/2 cup Jack Daniels (yes, another 1/2 cup)

1 1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup ketchup

1 Tbsp dry mustard

2 Tbsp Worcestershire sauce

2 Tbsp Red Wine Vinegar

1/2 cup freshly diced white onion

Mix well and bring to a simmer, lower heat and continue to simmer for 30 minutes.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Cut the backbone from a 3 1/2 pound whole chicken.  Flip the bird over so the breasts are up and press down to flatten the chicken and break the breast bone.  

Place chicken in a roasting pan and lightly season with salt, black pepper and garlic powder on both sides.  With a basting brush, brush both sides of the chicken with the BBQ sauce.  Place the chicken breast side up and place the roasting pan in the oven and cook the chicken for about 1 hour, or until the chicken reads 175 degrees with an instant read thermometer.  When it reaches 175, remove from the oven and cover with foil for 10-15 minutes.  Cut into segments, (breasts with wings, drumstick with thigh) and serve with BBQ sauce.

[brandied-bacony chicken]

based on Nigella Lawson's recipe of the same name

1 chicken, 3-3 1/2 pounds

2 strips bacon

1/4 cup brandy

Clean the chicken and set in a roasting pan - breast side up.  Heat the oven to 425.  In a small skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until it's crisp and the pan is full of fat, about 4 minutes. Take the pan off the heat, place the strips of bacon straight into the cavity of the chicken.  Pour the brandy into the still-hot pan (off the heat), and let it bubble for a minute.  Pour the pan of brandy over the chicken.  Roast the chicken for 45 minutes to 1 hour, until juices run clear between the leg and body.  Let sit for 10 minutes before carving.

[lemon-dill chicken]

So easy, it's stupid... but tasty.

1/4 cup salted butter, or smart balance

2 large boneless chicken breasts, cut in half

1/2 cup sherry

1/2 tsp dried dill

1 Tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp salt (omit if using cooking sherry)

Melt butter in a 10-inch skillet over medium-high heat.  Cook chicken in butter about 6 minutes, turning once, until light brown.  

Mix sherry, dill, lemon juice and salt; pour over chicken and bring to a boil, reduce heat.  Cover and simmer about 10 minutes.  Remove chicken from skillet; keep warm by covering with foil.  

Heat wine mixture to boiling.  Boil about 3 minutes or until reduced by about half; pour over chicken.