We tried a new recipe last shabbos that had about fourteen ingredients in the marinade. As you know, our meat is so flavorful that it barely needs more than some salt, pepper and olive oil to taste amazing. But we thought, maybe this concoction would be good to try. We’re sure glad we did. It only required a few ingredients that we didn’t already have on hand (Coke, thyme, lime juice — we skipped the liquid smoke) and left us with plenty of leftover sauce that was great as a dressing on sandwiches the next day.
Recipe adapted for kosher cooking from Chef Steven Brown at Food & Wine magazine.
Serves 6
- 12 pcs chicken on the bone (your choice: whole chicken, thighs, etc.)
- 1 small white onion, chopped
- 3 scallions, sliced
- 1 small habanero, stemmed
- 5 garlic cloves
- 1/2 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
- 2 teaspoons ground allspice
- 1 tablespoon thyme leaves
- 1 tablespoon sugar
- 1/2 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup fresh orange juice
- 1/3 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons Coke
- 1/4 tablespoon liquid smoke (optional)
- 1/4 cup canola oil, plus more for brushing
- In a blender or food processor, puree the onion, scallions, habanero, garlic and ginger until chunky. Add the allspice, thyme, sugar, cayenne, black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon and puree until very smooth. Transfer the puree to a large bowl and whisk in the vinegar, orange juice, lime juice, soy sauce, Coke and liquid smoke, then whisk in the 1/4 cup of oil.
- Add the chicken and turn to coat thoroughly. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
- Light a grill and brush the grates with oil. Transfer the chicken to a large plate. Transfer the marinade to a medium saucepan and boil until reduced by half, about 15 minutes.
- Brush the chicken with oil and grill over moderate heat for 25 minutes, until lightly charred and cooked through. Brush the chicken with some of the marinade and grill for 1 minute. Serve the chicken with the remaining reduced marinade.