Tuesday, June 23, 2009

BBQed Jerk Chicken

I found a few different recipes for Jerk chicken online, threw what spices and ingredients from those recipes that I had into a plastic bag, added chicken, waited an hour, threw on the grill, basted, and tasted. I didn't measure anything, but here's what the marinade consisted of:

brown sugar
cinnamon
allspice
thyme
basil
cayenne pepper
nutmeg
ginger
cumin
chili powder
red pepper flakes
salt
pepper
cider vinegar
soy sauce
olive oil
garlic-minced
onion-minced

It was delicious, man! (I hope you read that with a Rastafarian inflection.)

Sunday, June 7, 2009

Better than any wedding luncheon you've ever been to

Got some extra herbs and about an hours time? This dish is so succulent it's ridiculous; definitely worth the extra prep time. Also, it is a feat of catering genius. I must remember it for when I start my catering business.

"Chef" Jessica's Chicken Kiev

2 chicken breasts
3 Tbsp butter-softened
2 Tbsp fresh herbs--chopped and divided (I used a mixture of thyme, parsley, and dill. Tarragon would also work nicely.)
salt and pepper to taste
1/4 cup flour
1 egg--beaten with a splash of water
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs
olive oil

1. Mix together butter, 1 Tbsp of the herbs, and salt and pepper
2. Prepare a three-container breading system: mix flour with salt and pepper in one shallow container, beat the egg with water in another, and mix bread crumbs with salt, pepper, and 1 Tbsp. herbs in the third.
3. Heat 2 Tbsp olive oil in a skillet to medium and preheat the oven to 350.
4. pound chicken to about 1/4 inch.
5. Spread herb butter on one side of chicken and roll. (You can use tooth pics to fasten chicken rolls. I didn't have any, so I didn't and it was fine.)
6. Dredge chicken in flour, then dip in egg, and finally bread the chicken by patting the crumbs onto it.
7. Pan fry the chicken in the olive oil on each side for a couple minutes.
8. Transfer to a baking dish.
9. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes.
10. Serve with mashed potatoes and a vegetable of your choice.