2 Lemons
1/2 cup Cucumber finely chopped
3 Tbsp of thinly sliced Scallions
1 Chili finely chopped
Pinch of suger and Kosher salt
1.5 pounds of boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1.5 inch pieces
Freshly ground Black Pepper
1/4 cup plus 2 Tbsp of fresh chopped Cilantro
1/4 cup plain whole milk Yogurt
1 Tbsp Vegetable Oil plus more for brushing
2 Garlic Cloves coarsely chopped
1 Tsp fresh cracked coriander seeds
1 Tsp Turmeric (optional)
Using a sharp knife, cut all peel and white pith from lemons; discard. Cut between membranes to release lemon segments into a medium bowl; squeeze juice from membranes into bowl and discard membranes. Strain juice into a clean bowl; reserve lemon segments and juices separately. Mix segments, 1 Tbsp. lemon juice (set aside remaining juice for another use), cucumber, 2 Tbsp. scallions, and chile in a small bowl. Stir in sugar; season salsa to taste with salt and set aside. Place chicken in a medium bowl and season with salt and pepper. Purée ¼ cup cilantro, yogurt, 1 Tbsp. oil, garlic, coriander, and turmeric, if using, in a mini food processor or blender until smooth. Pour marinade over chicken; toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature for 20 minutes. Do Ahead: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes before continuing. Build a medium fire in a charcoal grill, or heat a gas grill to medium-high. Brush grill grate with oil. Thread 4 pieces of chicken on each skewer. Grill, turning once and watching closely to prevent burning, until browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the meat registers 165°F, about 8 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Spoon lemon salsa over chicken. Garnish with remaining 2 Tbsp. cilantro and 1 Tbsp. scallions.
A few things about this recipe from the average Joe perspective. I changed the recipe a little bit because I couldn’t find the “Meyer Lemons” the books recipe called for. It stated that I could use regular lemons but to not use as many due to the tartness of them. So I used 4 lemons when making the recipe, which was way too many. 2 would be fine in the future. Also, I had never worked with coriander seeds before, so the way that I cracked them was by putting them between two sheets of paper towel and rolling over them with a rolling pin. Crushing them in a garlic press works as well.
Before I start grilling, I need to arm myself with a beverage. I decided to go with a bomber of Ale Smith IPA, a fantastic IPA from the West Coast and one of my favorite hoppy beverages.
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| The chicken marinates in the purée blend created. Super Tasty. |
This dish turned out awesome. My first grilling recipe from this book was a total success. Chicken Thigh meat is delicious on the grill and is incredibly juicy. The lemon salsa was really tasty as well, however my wife and I both agreed that the salsa without the side of wild rice that we added might have been a little too intense. Overall, this recipe was solid!
