Entries Tagged 'Poultry' ↓

I love grilled wings – crispy, sweet, spicy, tangy, juicy, smoky – what’s not to love? I just look for excuses to make them. This batch was an experiment in making my own wing sauce. I’ve tried a lot of the bottled sauces and been happy (sometimes ecstatic) with most of them, but I still wanted to try my hand at creating my own unique sauce.

3-4 pounds chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), cut at the joint into two pieces
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup cider vinegar
4 tablespoons butter
Juice of 1 lemon (about 3 tablespoons)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon ground black pepper
1 tablespoon medium chili powder
1 tablespoon ancho chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon smoked Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar

In a medium saucepan, combine all of the ingredients except the wings and the butter and bring to a boil. Boil for 5 minutes. Add the butter and boil for another 5 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool. Makes about 2 cups.

In a large container with a lid, combine half the sauce with the wings and and shake to make sure that they are well-covered. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, turning the pieces occasionally.

Set up your grill for an indirect cook at 400°F. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and further diffuse the heat.

When the grill is ready, put the wings on the grill and cook undisturbed for 30 minutes. Flip and cook for another 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

Pour remaining sauce into a large bowl Add the wings and toss to mix well. Move to a plate and serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.

The Verdict

While these were some tasty wings, there’s plenty of room for improvement:

• They had just a little heat up front, but it lingered and built. I liked it, but by the 4th wing or so some folks found them a little overwhelming. Next time I’d go down to 1 teaspoon cayenne and add 1/2 teaspoon chipotle.
• Way too much vinegar. I’ll leave out the white vinegar entirely and double the balsamic and maybe add a 1/4 cup or so of beer.
• More sweet – double the brown sugar.
• Maybe a tablespoon of ketchup or tomato sauce to help meld the flavors.
• The grocery store was out of fresh wings,  so I had to use frozen -  never again, no way, no how – the frozen ones are much smaller and the texture just isn’t as good.
• To marinate or not marinate: that is the question. Marinating gets me a deeper flavor. Not marinating gets me a dryer skin, which means a crispier wing. Not sure which I like more.

Well, it looks like I’ll be be running a few more tests. The nice thing about experimenting with food is that you get to eat your mistakes.

Pickapeppa sauce is kind of the Jamaican version of a Worcestershire or steak sauce. It’s a spicy/sweet/savory blend of tomatoes, onions, cane vinegar, peppers, mangoes, raisins, tamarind, and secret spices. While it smells a lot like jerk seasoning, it doesn’t have anywhere near the heat. Often called “Jamaican ketchup,” you can use it as a condiment, a barbecue sauce, or (as in this recipe) a marinade.

8-12 chicken thighs
1 bottle Classic Pickapeppa Sauce
1 tablespoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons brown sugar

Combine all of the ingredients, except the chicken, and stir until the sugar has dissolved. Put the chicken in a Ziploc bag and cover with the marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight is better, 48 hours rocks.

Set your grill up for an indirect cook over medium-high  (400°F) heat. Put the thighs on the grill skin side down. Close the lid and cook for 20 minutes. Flip and cook  until the internal temperature has reached 180°F in the thickest part of the thighs, about another 40 minutes.

When the chicken is done, remove it to a warm plate and let it rest for 5-10 minutes. Serve with more Pickapeppa sauce and a Caribbean hot sauce on the side.

I gotta admit that (outside of maybe women’s beach volleyball) I have pretty much zero interest in watching sports. So I view the upcoming Superbowl as mostly an excuse to grill, drink beer, and hang out with friends. To that end, here are a couple of my favorite foods to serve for the big game:

Black Bean Chili

1 pound ground chuck (coarse grind if you can get it)
1 pound ground turkey (white and dark meat )
1/2 pound chorizo (I used Supremo)
1 medium onion, chopped
1 green bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/4 cup pickled jalapeños, chopped
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (28 ounce) diced tomatoes with liquid
1 can (15 ounce) diced tomatoes with liquid
3 cans (15.4 ounce) black beans, drained
2 cups beef broth
1 cup beer
2 ancho peppers, dried
4 guajillo peppers, dried
2 chipotle peppers, dried
2 teaspoons Kosher salt
Chili powder to taste (I ended up using 1 tablespoon Penzys Chili 9000 and 1 tablespoon of their Medium Hot)

Wearing rubber gloves, stem and seed the chiles. This is easiest to do with a pair of kitchen shears. Gently pull the stem  until it pops off (taking  most of the seeds with it), cut open the side of the pepper, then spread it open and scrape out the remaining seeds and veins.

Get some ventilation going with an open a window or an exhaust fan. Fill a bowl about half full of hot water and have this ready beside the stove.  In a dry skillet with no oil, fry the chiles  in small batches over medium heat for just for about 15-20 seconds a side until they start to change color and become fragrant. When they are done cooking,  remove them to the bowl of water.

When all of the chiles are cooked and in the bowl, use a small plate to weight them down so they are completely covered in water. Let this sit 10-15 minutes.

Drain the chiles, discarding the soaking water. In a sauce pan, combine the chiles and the beef stock.  Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

Blend the chile sauce until smooth. You can do this by running batches through a blend or food processor, but I find it easiest to just leave everything in the pot and use an immersion blender. Remove the pot from the heat and put it in the sink to help contain any splatters. Put the sauce aside to cool.

This is a recipe that is easier to start on the stove and then move to the grill. You could do it all on the stove top, but then you’re missing out on all the wonderful flavor that smoke brings to the dish.

Set your grill or smoker up for at least a 3 hour cook over indirect heat at 300°F. On the Big Green Egg that means filling the firebox with lump charcoal and using the plate setter inverted with a trivet on it to diffuse the heat. I used a little guava wood for smoke.

On the stove, brown all the meat  in a large dutch oven or other grill-safe pan. Drain if needed. Season with the salt and add the onions, garlic, and green pepper. Cook until the veggies go limp and the meat is fully cooked (about 5 minutes).

Add the adobo, mix and let simmer for a few minutes. Add the jalapeños, beer, tomatoes, and beans. Mix well and move the uncovered pan to the grill. Close the grill lid and cook for an hour. Stir and check your seasoning, adding chili powder, salt or pepper as needed. Cook for another hour, or until it has cooked down to the desired thickness.  Adjust seasonings again, and serve with a sharp grated cheddar cheese and a dollop of crema.

Grilled Buffalo Wings

3-4 pounds fresh chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), whole
1/2 cups  Frank’s RedHot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
1/3 cup butter
2 tablespoons garlic salt
1 tablespoon Tabasco sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
Fresh ground black pepper

Season wings with garlic salt and black pepper. Lay wings out on a rack or jellyroll and let sit uncovered in the refrigerator while you set up the grill.

Set up your grill for an indirect cook at 400°F. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and further diffuse the heat. I added a raised rack and to get the wings further up in the dome of the Big Green Egg.

Combine the hot sauces, butter, garlic powder, sugar, and celery salt in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Heat until the butter is melted and stir to combine all the ingredients. Remove from heat, but keep warm.

When the grill is ready, put the wings on the grill and cook undisturbed for 30 minutes. Check for any hot spots, rearrange as needed, flip only if the wings are cooking unevenly. Cook for another 30 minutes, or until brown and crispy.

Pour sauce into a large container with a lid. Add the wings and toss to mix well. Move to a plate and serve with bleu cheese dressing and celery sticks.

I’m always on the lookout for new ways to do chicken wings. This recipe is a a bit of a collaboration between the Orange Marmalade Sriracha Wings from Larry at The Wolfe Pit, the Sriracha Chicken Wings from Chris at Nibble Me This, and my own Teriyaki Wings.

The end result is a very tasty, vaguely Asian, spicy-sweet wing with plenty of kick. These were a hit at our recent New Year’s Eve party.

3-4 pounds fresh chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), whole
1 (16 ounce) jar orange marmalade (Get the good stuff without the high-fructose corn syrup in it.)
1/3 cup Sriracha (a.k.a. Rooster) sauce
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tablespoons teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoon Thai fish sauce (nuoc nam)
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar

Combine all ingredients (except the wings) in a heavy sauce pan over medium heat. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, stirring constantly until the sugar has dissolved and everything is well-combined. Remove sauce from heat, but keep warm.

Set up your grill for an indirect cook at 350°F. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and further diffuse the heat. I added just a little guava wood for smoke.

Grill wings with the tips down for 30 minutes, flip and cook for another 30 minutes, or until they are golden brown. Mop the wings with the sauce and cook for another 15 minutes. Flip, mop and cook for another 15 minutes.  Repeat one or two more times until the wings are have a thick and sticky glaze on them.

Jerk is probably the original barbecue of the Americas -  the smokey meeting of West Indian spices and Spanish livestock. The marinade ensures that meat is not only wonderfully spiced, but moist and tender as well.

The Marinade

6 green onions
4 to 6 Habanero or Scotch Bonnet peppers (4 were plenty for this northerner)
4 gloves garlic
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon cider vinegar
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dark rum
1 teaspoon ground thyme
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Wearing gloves, seed and devein the peppers. Put the salt and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the remaining ingredients and give them a whirl until they are well-combined. Store in the fridge for up to a month. Makes about 3/4 cup.

The Cook

8 chicken thighs (1-1/2 to 2 pounds)
1/2 cup jerk marinade

Put the chicken in a Ziploc bag and coat with the jerk marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours, overnight is best.

Set your grill up for an indirect cook over medium (300°F) heat. Put the thighs on the grill skin side up. Close the lid and cook for 15 minutes. Flip and cook skin side down for another 15 minutes. Flip again and cook  until the internal temperature has reached 180°F in the thickest part of the thighs, about another 30 minutes.

When the chicken is done, remove it to a warm plate and let it rest for 10 minutes.

This is one of my favorite dishes to make with leftover turkey. Since I almost always do our bird on the Big Green Egg, the meat has a smoky richness that goes great with the peppers and spices. Make the stock up ahead of time and this can be a quick dinner.

8 quarts cold water
1 turkey carcass
1 (20 ounce) can hominy (Juanita’s if you can get it)
1 (4 ounce) can green chilies
2-3 dried chipotles, chopped
1-2  jalapenos, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
2 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon dried cilantro

Put the carcass in a large stock pot and cover with water. I use a strainer insert to make removing the meat easier. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 2 to 4 hours.

Remove the insert and set the the meat aside to cool. Bring the stock up to a low boil and add the hominy, onions, garlic, chilies, and spices. Reduce heat and let simmer while you take the turkey carcass apart. Roughly chop the meat and add to the stew. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low, and cover. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about an hour to blend the flavors.

Serve with corn chips, a squeeze of lime, and a sprinkling of cojita cheese.

We decided to cook an early Thanksgiving dinner with some friends since we’re going to be visiting family for turkey day. This is our first gluten-free major holiday meal, so we wanted to share some of the side dishes we made to go along with the spatchcocked turkey.

Gluten-Free Stuffing

This is a sage-heavy stuffing recipe that we love. Stuffing is an easy dish to make gluten free as it’s mostly just about replacing the bread, soup, and stock with GF versions. We found that it also helps to dry the bread cubes in the oven at 325°F for approximately an hour or so until the cubes are very dry like croutons.

2 loaves bread, cut into 1/2 inch cubes and dried (we used Pamela’s Pamela’s Gluten-Free Bread Mix)
2 cans gluten-free cream of celery soup (we used Healthy Valley)
2-3 cups chicken stock (we used Pacific Natural)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 ribs celery, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1 tablespoon poultry seasoning
1 tablespoon sage

Melt butter in a large saucepan over medium high heat. Add onions, garlic,  and celery and cook for about 10 minutes or until onions are translucent, but not browned.

In a large bowl, add the veggies to bread cubes and stir to mix. Add the soup and stir again. Add the sage and broth and stir. Season with salt and pepper to taste and stir one last time.

Mound stuffing into a buttered 13×9 inch baking dish, adding more stock over the top if it is too dry. Bake for approximately 50 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

Gluten-Free Green Bean Casserole

An update on the classic recipe from the side of the Campbell’s soup can. Caramelized onions replace the usual french fried ones.

4 cups cooked green beans
1 cans gluten-free cream of mushroom soup (we used Healthy Valley)
1 large onion, sliced into rings
1/2 pound white mushrooms, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon gluten-free soy sauce or Bragg’s Aminos
1/4 sliced almonds

Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and cook until the onions are soft (about 5 minutes). Sprinkle with a little salt and continue to cook, stirring  frequently, until the onions are golden brown (about 20 minutes).

Remove half the onions and set aside. Add the mushrooms and cook until they start to brown and lose their moisture.

Remove pan from the heat and let cool for 10 minutes. Add the soup, soy sauce, and beans to the pan. Mix well. Season with salt and pepper to taste, then pour into a 1 1/2-quart casserole. Top with the reserved onions.

Bake at 350°F  for 25 minutes or until it is hot and bubbling. Top with the almonds and bake for 5 minutes or until the almonds are golden brown.

Manchego Potatoes

Adapted from an old Rachel Ray recipe (gotta love that mole). This recipe is inherently gluten-free and a great change from regular mashed potatoes.

4 pounds baby red-skinned or baby Yukon gold potatoes
1 stick butter (1/2 cup), cut into 4 or 5 chunks
1/2 – 3/4 cup heavy cream
2 1/2 cups shredded Manchego or Pecorino Romano cheese, about 3/4 to 1 pound of cheese
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried rosemary
2 cloves garlic, crushed

Halve large potatoes, leave the small ones whole. Put potatoes and garlic in a large stockpot and cover with water. Put the lid on and bring to a boil. Uncover, add the salt, and cook until tender (about 15 minutes).

Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking water.  Add the potatoes, garlic back to the hot pot. Add butter, cream, cheese, rosemary, reserved cooking water and mash the potatoes to desired consistency. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Gluten-Free Gravy

Pan drippings and scratch-made stock are the keys to the great flavor of this recipe. You can make the stock well advance and put the gravy together as the last thing you do before serving the bird.

Neck, backbone, giblets and trimmings reserved from the turkey
2-3 quarts water
2 medium onions, quartered
2 carrots, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 ribs celery, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped
1 stick butter (1/2 cup)
1/2 cup gluten-free flour (we used Bob’s Red Mill)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 teaspoon sage
2 bay leaves

Put the turkey bits, onions, carrots, celery, and garlic into a large stockpot and add just enough water to cover. Bring to a boil, then reduce to simmer and cook for 2-4 hours. Strain, add the herbs, and bring to a low boil. Cook until the stock has reduced to about 4 cups. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Cover and set someplace warm until the turkey is done.

Drain off the dripping from the turkey roaster. SAVE. Put the roaster over a burner on medium-high heat. Add the butter and deglaze the pan, scraping up all the brown bits of fond as the butter melts. Slowly add the flour, using a whisk to work it into the butter. Keep stirring until all of the flour is worked in and you have a smooth roux with no lumps of flour.

Pour as much fat as you can off the reserved pan drippings. Whisk the remaining drippings into the roux. Bring the stock to a low boil and slowly stirthe roux into the stock. Keep stirring as the gravy thickens. Reduce the heat to low and simmer until it reaches the thickness you want.

Happy Thanksgiving! With some planning ahead, it’s easy to have a gluten free holiday that everyone will enjoy.

As the centerpiece of our gluten-free pre-Thanksgiving dinner, I decided to do a turkey on the Big Green Egg. Spatchcocking (butterflying) is a great way to grill poultry. By removing the bird’s backbone and flattening it,  the bird cooks faster and more evenly so you don’t have to worry that the breasts will dry out before the thighs are done.

The Bird

1 whole fresh turkey, 12-16 pounds (I used a brined, natural bird)
2-4 tablespoons olive oil
2-4 tablespoons poultry seasoning or rub (I used John Henry’s Texas Chicken Tickler)

Clean and rinse the turkey, then pat it dry. Cut off the tail and any large bits of fat or loose skin (save along with the neck, backbone, and giblets for making gravy).

Place the bird in front of you with the breast side down and the tail facing you. Spatchcock the bird by cutting up through the ribs on one side of the backbone with either a pair of kitchen shears or a sharp chef’s knife. The bottom couple of ribs are the worst to cut through. Once you are through those it goes pretty easily. Repeat on the other side and remove the backbone.

Flip the bird over and press down on the center of the breast with your thumbs while opening it up with your fingers until you hear the kneel bone crack and the bird lies flat.

Rub both sides of the bird with olive oil and season with the rub, making sure to work some under the skin. Refrigerate the turkey for a least an hour uncovered to let the skin dry out a little. This helps keep the skin crispy.

The Cook

Set your grill up for 4 hour indirect cook over medium heat (350°F). On the BGE this means using about half a fire box full of lump charcoal, an inverted plate setter to diffuse the heat, and a drip pan to catch the fat. I added a good-sized chunk of guava wood for smoke.

Put the turkey on the grill skin side up and close the lid. Cook undisturbed for 1 hour. Check and rotate the grill if necessary to even out any hot spots. Close the lid and cook until the turkey reaches 160°F in the breast. Figure  about 10 minutes per pound total cooking time. This 14.2 pound bird was done in just about 2 1/2 hours.

Remove the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 10 minutes. To serve, cut the legs from breast at the hip joint. Separate the drumsticks from the thighs (because nothing says Thanksgiving like gnawing on a big ol’ drumstick).

Find the joint connecting the wing and breast, and cut through it. Remove both wings. Cut the breast  meat into two pieces, slicing along either side of breastbone. Slice the breast meat across the grain.

I’m generally not a big fan of boneless, skinless chicken breasts on the grill. For me, they almost always end up being dry and bland. This recipe is reminiscent of the well-marinated chicken you’ll find sizzling on top of old oil drum grills all over the Caribbean. It uses both a marinade and a baste to keep the breasts  juicy and tangy.

4-5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar or lime juice
1/2 cup peanut oil
1/4 cup Worcestershire or soy sauce
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 tablespoon sugar
3-4 cloves garlic
1 teaspoon onion powder
1 teaspoon white pepper
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon dried basil
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes or 1 to 2 teaspoons habanero pepper sauce like Marie Sharp’s

Put the salt and garlic in a food processor and pulse until the garlic is minced. Add the remaining ingredients, except the chicken, and give them a whirl until they are well-combined. This makes just under 2 cups of marinade. Reserve a half cup for basting the chicken.

Put the chicken in a freezer bag and coat with the remaining marinade. Squeeze the air out of the bag and seal. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, overnight is better, 48 hours is amazing.

Set your grill up for a direct cook over medium-high (400°F) heat. Put the chicken on the grill and close the lid. Cook for about 5 minutes, then flip and baste with the reserved marinade using a basting brush or mop. Flip and baste every five minutes. Cook for about 30 to 40 minutes, until the juices run clear and the meat is no longer pink in the center, or until you reach 160°F internal.

I like these as a change of pace from our usual buffalo wings.

Teriyaki Marinade

3-4 pounds fresh chicken wings (about 16-24 wings), whole
3/4 cup teriyaki sauce
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon fish sauce
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1-2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce (a.k.a. Rooster Sauce)

Apricot Dipping Sauce

1/3 cup apricot preserves
1/4 cup teriyaki sauce
1 tablespoons honey
1-2 teaspoons sriracha chili sauce

Preparation

Combine the ingredients for the marinade (minus the chicken) in a large container with a lid. Mix well. Add the wings to the mix, seal, and shake to make sure that they are covered with the marinade. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours, but preferably overnight, turning the pieces occasionally.

Set up your grill for an indirect cook at 400°F. Use a pan under the grate to catch any drippings and further diffuse the heat.

Remove the wings to a plate, reserving the marinade. Put the reserved marinade in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Boil for 2 minutes. Remove from heat and let cool.

Combine the ingredients for the apricot dipping sauce and refrigerate.

Put the wings on the grill and cook about 15 minutes, flip the wings, and baste them with the reserved marinade. Repeat every 15 minutes until the wings are done (about 45-60 minutes total).

Serve hot from the grill with the dipping sauce on the side.