AJI-AMARILLO ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

In my previous post I mentioned my love affair with sesame oil, but I am a woman of many passions. Aji-amarillo has been part of my cooking for a while. I love the flavor of this Peruvian paste, and the color it imparts to all you cook with it, reminiscent of turmeric. Turmeric, another passion of mine…

AJI-AMARILLO ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS
(inspired by a sous-vide recipe from Anova Culinary)

6 pieces bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
¼ cup soy sauce
1 Tbsp aji amarillo paste (or more, to taste)
1 Tbsp fresh lime juice
zest of 1 lime
1 tsp chile powder
1 tsp ground cumin
2 tsp honey (I don’t measure, drizzle a bit)
1 + 1/2 tsp kosher or sea salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper

In a large liquid measuring cup, combine the soy sauce, aji amarillo paste, lime juice, lime zest, chile powder, cumin, honey, salt, and pepper. Stir well until fully combined. Place chicken in a plastic zipper-lock bag, add the prepared marinade and turn to coat. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or up to 24 hours.

Transfer the chicken and marinade to a baking dish, skin side down. Cover with aluminum foil and bake at 350F for 50 minutes. Remove foil, turn pieces of chicken with skin side up, increase oven temperature to 425F, roast for another 20 minutes or so, until the skin is golden brown. If desired, run under the broiler.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I have made this recipe three times already. It is great to add chickpeas to the baking sheet, they will cook together with the chicken juices and get all soft and tasty. Highly recommend you try this version. Just marinade the chicken and once you add it to the baking sheet place the chickpeas all around the pieces. I used canned chickpeas but it might be even better if you start from dry, soaking them overnight and draining before roasting. Your kitchen, your rules!

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10Jun2023

SESAME MISO YAKITORI

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Totally in love with this recipe that was recently published on my friend Tara’s blog (Tara’s Multicultural Table). It will for sure be part of our regular rotation, as the husband already asked me “when will we have it again?”

SESAME MISO YAKITORI
(slightly modified from Tara’s Multicultural Table)

1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup mirin
3 tablespoons red miso
2 tablespoons sake (I used Brazilian cachaça)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, ground
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
1 pound (450 grams) boneless chicken thighs

Soak the wooden skewers in water for 30 minutes prior to use.

In a small saucepan, whisk together the soy sauce, mirin, miso, sake (or cachaça), ground sesame seeds, and sugar. Place the saucepan over medium low heat and cook, whisking often, until thickened.
Remove from heat and pour 1/3rd of the mixture into a separate bowl and set aside with a clean pastry brush. This bowl of glaze and brush will be for the final coating over the cooked chicken skewers.

Cut the chicken into 1 inch pieces. Arrange the chicken on the skewers. Grill the skewers, brushing with the glaze from the saucepan. Cook until golden, then turn and brush again with the miso glaze. Continue to cook until the chicken is fully cooked. Brush the cooked chicken skewers with the clean brush and bowl of miso glaze.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: I normally do not have the patience to add meat to skewers. I know it sounds odd, as I can spend hours decorating a single cookie if needed, but such is life. However, this was so absolutely worth it, the texture is improved compared to grilling the boneless thighs as individual, large pieces. Plus, sesame miso sauce is divine. I used it on pork tenderloin and want to pair it with salmon in the near future. It is nutty, with just the right touch of sweetness. Please try this recipe and then thank Tara for it!

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6Mar2023

CHICKEN WITH PASILLA-PECAN SAUCE

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

Are you familiar with Mexican mole sauces? Well, this is not it. It goes in that direction, but it is much, much simpler. Moles are notoriously complex to make, requiring hours of simmering and a long list of ingredients. This sauce is very simple by comparison. I was inspired by a few recipes from Pati Jinich of PBS fame, and cooked it under pressure. You can use an Instant Pot or simply braise it for a longer time.

CHICKEN WITH PASILLA-PECAN SAUCE
(inspired by Pati Jinich)

2 tablespoons grapeseed oil
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 cups chicken stock
3/4 cup pecans
4 prunes
2 pasilla dried chilis, stemmed and seeds removed
1 medium shallot, peeled, cut in half
1 cup strained tomatoes (I used Pomi)
salt and pepper to taste

Start by making the sauce. Add the dried pasillas to a super hot skillet and dry cook them on both sides until they get soft and fragrant. Reserve. Broil the shallot or dry roast it in the pan together with the pepper.

Heat the chicken stock in a saucepan, add the pasillas, broiled shallots, pecans, and prunes. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Simmer gently for 10 minutes. Add the contents of the pan to a high-power blender (I used a Vitamix), and process until full smooth.

Heat the oil in your pressure cooker or instant pot, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and brown them on both sides, four pieces at a time. Remove to a bowl as they are done. When they are all browned, remove the excess oil from the pan, leaving about 1 tablespoon behind. Add the chicken back to the pressure cooker, pour 1 cup strained tomatoes and 1 cup of the pasilla sauce. Close the pan, bring to full pressure and cook for 20 minutes. Release the pressure (quickly is ok), and if needed, simmer down the sauce. Adjust seasoning, and serve with your side dishes of choice, or shred the meat and wrap in tortillas.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: We both loved this take on chicken thighs. You can serve this with rice and beans, you can serve it with tortillas and some salsa, but I opted for a simple sweet potato puree and broccoli. The sauce is super flavorful, so it will go well with pretty much any side dish you want: couscous, rice pilaf, even pasta or polenta. Don’t worry, call it fusion cuisine. The pasilla-pecan sauce will make more than you need for this recipe, so you can freeze it for later.

If you don’t own a pressure cooker, just brown the meat, add the sauce, cover tightly and simmer gently until cooked through, probably 50 minutes or so, depending on how tender you like it. I have not tried it with chicken thighs on the bone and with the skin on, but if you brown the skin well, I don’t see any problems. It will have a lot more fat in the end, though.

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30Aug2022

INCREDIBLY SIMPLE: KOREAN CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Incredibly simple, Poultry by sallybr

Mix a few ingredients, marinate the chicken. Grill. Done. It will go into our rotation, which tells you how much we loved it. Spicy to the right level. Sweet to the right level. Tender and moist.

KOREAN CHICKEN THIGHS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
3 tablespoons Gochujang sauce
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons honey
2 tsp toasted sesame oil
1/2 tsp salt plus more to taste

Mix all ingredients for the marinade, whisking them well. Add the pieces of chicken and move them around to coat each piece with the marinade. Leave it in the fridge from 2 hours to overnight.

Sprinkle a little more salt on the pieces of meat and grill until done, about 7 minutes per side, depending on how hot your grill gets.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Two of my best buddies are Gochujang and Sriracha. I like to drizzle Sriracha over turkey burgers or other things ready to eat, but Gochujang I prefer to cook with. I find it a bit too strong on its own. In this marinade it is the dominant flavor, but unless you really dislike spicy food, it is not overpowering. I was quite amazed by how tasty leftovers turned out even when tortured fora couple of minutes in the microwave. We had them with air-fried zucchini (which I did not do a good job, over-crowded the basket and they turned out mushy), and British-style roasted potatoes (Sally pats herself on the back, they were perfect).

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21Aug2022

KASHMIRI CHICKEN THIGHS

Posted in Poultry by sallybr

This is a pressure cooker (or Instant Pot) recipe. I am afraid that to get the texture of the meat and depth of flavor in the sauce just right, you’ll need to use it. Also, don’t be tempted to keep the skin on the chicken thighs, because they will make the sauce very fatty and heavy. So take a deep breath and remove it.

KASHMIRI CHICKEN THIGHS
(from the Bewitching Kitchen)

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium shallots, minced
4 whole cardamom pods, lightly crushed
1 cinnamon stick
2 tablespoons finely grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tsp kashmiri chili
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp paprika
5 bone-in, skinless chicken thighs
1 tsp salt
1 cup water
1/2 cup yogurt, full-fat
1 tsp cornstarch
fresh cilantro, to serve

Heat the oil in a pressure cooker (or your Instant Pot using the sauté function), add the shallots, cardamon pods, cinnamon stick and salt. Cook until the shallots are soft and fragrant. Add the ginger, tomato paste, chili, cumin, and paprika. Cook for about 1 minute, add 1 cup of water, gently stir, then add the chicken pieces.

Close the pan and cook in full pressure for 12 minutes, then let the pressure reduce naturally for 15 minutes. Release any pressure left (running water over the lid or doing whatever method is called for in the Instant Pot), open the pan and remove the chicken pieces to a serving bowl, keeping it tented with foil. Remove the cinnamon stick and cardamon pods, then reduce the sauce by simmering for 10 to 15 minutes. Mix the yogurt with cornstarch, add to the simmering sauce, return the chicken to the pan, and simmer it all together for a few minutes, until the sauce is slightly thickened. Sprinkle fresh cilantro. Serve over rice or with your favorite side dish.

ENJOY!

to print the recipe, click here

Comments: Kashmiri chili is a great spice, with subtle heat and unique flavor. The pressure cooker does a wonderful job tenderizing the meat and allowing the sauce to develop that complex taste usually reserved for things cooked for hours and hours. Adding a little amount of cornstarch to the yogurt prevents it from separating during simmering, and gives a velvety texture I am quite fond of. If you rather not use it, whisk the yogurt as you pour it into the pan, and avoid cooking for very long. The sauce will be obviously a lot thinner, but still taste wonderful.

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