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Grilled Chicken Kabob

Gas-Grilled Barbecued Chicken Kebabs

Published May 1, 2011. From Cook’s Illustrated.

Why this recipe works:

We grilled each side of the kebabs until the meat was almost fully cooked and then brushed our prepared barbecue sauce recipe onto the kebabs, leaving them on the grill until the sauce had a chance to caramelize.

To ensure that the meat in our barbecued chicken kebabs recipe stayed moist, we started by tossing the chicken pieces with salt. After allowing the salt to penetrate the meat, we coated it in sugar, spices, and pureed bacon, which kept the chicken kebabs moist and flavorful as they cooked. We grilled each side of the kebabs until the meat was almost fully cooked and then brushed our prepared barbecue sauce recipe onto the kebabs, leaving them on the grill until the sauce had a chance to caramelized.

Stripped of protective fatty skin, barbecued chicken kebabs don’t stand a chance on a fiery grill. But what if the chicken gets a little help from a pig?

Serves 6

We prefer flavorful thigh meat for these kebabs, but you can use white meat. Whichever you choose, don’t mix white and dark meat on the same skewer since they cook at different rates. If you have thin pieces of chicken, cut them larger than 1 inch and roll or fold them into approximately 1-inch cubes. Use the large holes on a box grater to grate the onion.

Ingredients

  • Sauce
  • 1/2 cup ketchup
  • 1/4 cup light or mild molasses
  • 2 tablespoons grated onion (see note)
  • 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
  • 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
  • 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
  • Kebabs
  • 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1-inch cubes (see note)
  • 2 teaspoons kosher salt
  • 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
  • 4 teaspoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons smoked paprika
  • 2 slices bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 4 12-inch metal skewers

Instructions

  1. FOR THE SAUCE: Bring all ingredients to simmer in small saucepan over medium heat; cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce reaches ketchup-like consistency and is reduced to about 1 cup, 5 to 7 minutes. Transfer 1/2 cup sauce to small bowl and set aside remaining sauce to serve with cooked chicken.
  2. FOR THE KEBABS: Toss chicken and salt in large bowl; cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes and up to 1 hour.
  3. Turn all burners to high, close lid, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Scrape cooking grate clean with grill brush. Leave primary burner on high and turn off other burner(s).
  4. While grill heats, pat chicken dry with paper towels. Combine sweet paprika, sugar, and smoked paprika in small bowl. Process bacon in food processor until smooth paste forms, 30 to 45 seconds, scraping down bowl twice during processing. Add bacon paste and spice mixture to chicken; mix with hands or rubber spatula until ingredients are thoroughly blended and chicken is completely coated. Thread meat onto skewers, rolling or folding meat as necessary to maintain 1-inch cubes.
  5. Place kebabs over primary burner and grill, covered, turning one-quarter turn every 2 to 2 1/2 minutes until well browned and slightly charred, 8 minutes for breasts or 10 minutes for thighs. (If flare-ups occur, slide kebabs to cool side of grill until fire dies down.) Brush top surface of kebabs with ¼ cup sauce; flip and cook until sauce is brown in spots, about 1 minute. Brush second side with remaining ¼ cup sauce; flip and continue to cook until brown in spots and instant-read thermometer inserted in center of meat registers 160 degrees for breasts and 175 degrees for thighs, about 1 minute longer. Remove kebabs from grill and let rest for 5 minutes. Serve, passing reserved barbecue sauce separately.

Making Bacon Play Nice

In an effort to give lean chicken a little protective fat and smokier flavor, we played around with bacon until we hit upon an approach that worked.

TOO FLABBY Bacon pieces wedged between the chicken chunks never fully cooked.

TOO BACON-Y Whole strips of bacon wrapped around the chicken overpowered the chicken flavor.

TORCHED Basting the chicken with bacon drippings led to flare-ups.

WINNING SOLUTION Coating the chicken in a paste made of finely processed bacon did the trick.

Technique

Bacon Paste: Weird—But it Works

To create a protective coating that keeps the chicken moist on the grill, we chop two slices of bacon, pulse them in a food processor until smooth, and then toss the resulting paste (along with sugar and spices) with the raw chicken chunks.

Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Penne Rigate with Spicy Braised Swordfish

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/penne-rigate-with-spicy-braised-swordfish

1 tablespoon salt­packed capers
3 tablespoons extra­virgin olive oil
6 garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 large jalapeños, thinly sliced
6 large anchovy fillets (I used 2 tbs fish sauce), minced
1/2 cup dry white wine
One 28­ounce can whole tomatoes, chopped and juices reserved
1/2 pound penne rigate (spinach)
1/2 pound skinless swordfish steak
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoons chopped basil
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1. In a bowl, cover the capers with warm water. Let stand for 20 minutes; drain.
2. In a skillet, heat the olive oil. Add the garlic and jalapeños and cook over moderate heat until the garlic is golden, about 3 minutes. Add the anchovies and cook, mashing, until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Add the white wine and simmer over moderately high heat for 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes and their juices and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
3. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the penne until al dente. Drain.
4. Season the fish with salt and pepper and add to the sauce along with the capers. Cover and cook over low heat, turning once, until the fish is just cooked through and can be flaked into large, moist pieces, about 8 minutes. Transfer the fish to a plate. Season the anchovy sauce with salt and pepper. Add the penne to the sauce and simmer over low heat for 1 minute, stirring. Spoon the pasta and sauce into bowls and top with the flaked swordfish. Garnish with the basil and parsley and serve. SUGGESTED PAIRING Fruity Sicilian rosé. 
Posted on » by Michael » Theme:

Spaghetti and Chicken Meatballs from Lady and the Tramp

Answer

Please note, I’m not listing any modification I may have inadvertently or intentionally made since don’t think I’ve significantly improved the recipe.

meatball3

Serves 4 to 6

We found that they must be refrigerated for an hour before being fried to keep them from sticking to the pan or falling apart.

Ingredients

  • Meatballs
  • 2 slices white sandwich bread (crusts discarded), torn into small cubes
  • 1/2 cup buttermilk or 6 tablespoons plain yogurt thinned with 2 tablespoons whole milk
  • 1 pound ground chicken mixed with ground chuck
  • 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese
  • 2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley leaves
  • 1 large egg yolk
  • 1 small clove garlic, minced (1 teaspoon)
  • 3/4 teaspoon table salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • Vegetable oil for pan-frying (about 1 1/4 cups)
  • Smooth Tomato Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 teaspoon minced garlic
  • 1 can crushed tomatoes (28 ounce)
  • 1 tablespoon fresh basil leaves, minced
  • Table salt
  • Ground black pepper
  • 1 pound spaghetti
  • Parmesan cheese fresh, grated

 

Instructions

1. For the meatballs: Combine bread and buttermilk in small bowl, mashing occasionally with fork, until smooth paste forms, about 10 minutes.

2. Place ground chicken, cheese, parsley, egg yolk, garlic, salt, and pepper to taste in medium bowl. Add bread-milk mixture and combine until evenly mixed. Shape 3 tablespoons of mixture into 1½-inch-round meatball. (When forming meatballs use a light touch. If you compact the meatballs too much, they can become dense and hard.) You should be able to form about 14 meatballs. After shaping meatballs place on platter, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until firm, about 1 hour.

3. Pour vegetable oil into 10- or 11-inch sauté pan to depth of ¼ inch. Turn flame to medium-high. After several minutes, test oil with edge of meatball. When oil sizzles, add meatballs in single layer. Fry, turning several times, until nicely browned on all sides, about 10 minutes (see illustration below). Regulate heat as needed to keep oil sizzling but not smoking. Transfer browned meatballs to plate lined with paper towels and set aside.

TECHNIQUE: Browning Meatballs :

Squeeze all the oil out, and I mean use some muscle:

meatballs

We found that meatballs taste best when browned evenly on all sides. Their round shape makes this a challenge. Our solution is to brown the two broader sides of the meatballs first and then use tongs to stand the meatballs on their sides. If necessary, lean the meatballs up against one another as they brown.

4. Bring 4 quarts water to a boil in large pot for pasta.

5. For the sauce, discard oil in pan, leaving behind any browned bits. Add olive oil along with garlic; sauté, scraping up any browned bits, just until garlic is golden, about 30 seconds. Add tomatoes, bring to boil, and simmer gently until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. Stir in basil; add salt and pepper to taste. Add meatballs and simmer, turning them occasionally, until heated through, about 5 minutes. Keep warm over low flame.

6. Meanwhile, add 1 tablespoon salt and pasta to boiling water. Cook until al dente, drain, and return to pot. Ladle several large spoonfuls of tomato sauce (without meatballs) over spaghetti and toss until noodles are well coated. Divide pasta among individual bowls and top each with a little more tomato sauce and 2 to 3 meatballs. Serve immediately with grated cheese passed separately.