Orange-Marinated
Chicken Satay
with PEANUT SAUCE
MAKES 4 to 6 SERVINGS
After a recent trip to Southeast Asia, I came back bursting with inspiration and ideas. This super-easy chicken satay incorporates some of the tricks I learned abroad, including a peanut sauce that requires only a handful of ingredients but is nonetheless chock-full of flavor. You can use any cut of boneless chicken you prefer—strips of boneless skinless breasts or thighs work as well as the tenders.
MARINADE AND CHICKEN
Finely grated zest of 1 large navel orange
½ cup fresh orange juice
¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons Japanese soy sauce
2 garlic cloves, shredded on a Microplane zester
2 pounds chicken tenders, trimmed of tendons and cut in half crosswise to make 24 pieces
PEANUT SAUCE
½ cup reduced-sodium chicken broth
¼ cup hoisin sauce
¼ cup smooth peanut butter
½ teaspoon sambal oelek or other Asian chili paste
1 garlic clove, shredded on a Microplane zester
Special Equipment: 24 (4- to 6-inch) bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 30 minutes and drained
1. To marinate the chicken: Whisk all of the marinade ingredients together in a medium bowl. Put the chicken in a 1-gallon self-sealing plastic bag. Pour in the marinade, seal the bag, and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 8 hours.
2. To make the peanut sauce: Combine all the ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook over medium heat, whisking almost constantly, until simmering, smooth, and thickened. Remove from the heat and cover to keep warm.
3. Prepare an outdoor grill for direct cooking over medium heat (350°F to 450°F).
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade. Thread each chicken strip on a skewer. Place the meaty parts of the skewers over direct medium heat with the skewer handles facing the cooler part of the grill; slip a folded strip of aluminum foil under the handles (see Chef Talk, at right). Grill, with the lid closed, turning once, until browned and the chicken shows no sign of pink when pierced with the tip of a small knife, about 6 minutes. Transfer the satays to a platter.
5. Pour the peanut sauce into a serving bowl. Serve the satays with the peanut sauce for dipping.
ARROZ CON POLLO
with ACHIOTE OIL
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
Hanging out in the Lower East Side’s many Latin restaurants has taught me a few things about delicious arroz con pollo, one of the all-time great comfort foods. I turned to Juan Borjas, who is one of my longtime chefs and from Puerto Rico, to help me create the ultimate version of this dish. Be sure to use medium-grain rice, which is slightly sticky after cooking, making serving much easier and neater than the fluffy long-grain variety.
MARINADE AND CHICKEN
6 garlic cloves, crushed under a knife and peeled
1 medium green bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
½ medium red bell pepper, cored and coarsely chopped
½ large white onion, coarsely chopped
¼ cup packed fresh cilantro leaves
1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
4 bone-in chicken thighs
4 chicken drumsticks
ACHIOTE OIL
⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 teaspoon annatto seeds (see Chef Talk, here)
1½ tablespoons tomato paste
2 teaspoons cumin seeds, coarsely ground in a mortar or spice grinder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon granulated onion
½ teaspoon granulated garlic
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 bay leaf
⅓ cup dry white wine
½ cup water
1½ cups medium-grain rice, such as arborio or Valencia
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth
1 cup dark beer, such as Negra Modelo (not stout)
Pinch of crumbled saffron threads
1 cup thawed frozen green peas
1 large red pepper, roasted (see here), seeded, and cut into ½-inch dice
Lemon wedges, for serving
1. To marinate the chicken: With the machine running, drop the garlic through the feed tube of a food processor to mince the garlic. Add the green and red bell peppers, onion, cilantro, salt, and pepper and pulse until the vegetables are finely chopped. With the machine running, pour the oil through the feed tube to make a puree.
2. Put the chicken thighs and legs in a 1-gallon self-sealing plastic bag and pour in the puree. Seal the bag and refrigerate, turning occasionally, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
3. To make the achiote oil: In a small saucepan, warm the oil and annato seeds together over low heat just until oil bubbles around the seeds, about 5 minutes. Do not overheat the oil or it will be bitter. Remove from the heat and let stand for 10 minutes Strain the achiote oil into a small bowl and discard the seeds.
4. Remove the chicken from the marinade, shake off the excess marinade, and pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Pour 2 tablespoons of the achiote oil into a Dutch oven and heat over medium-high heat. Set the remaining oil aside for serving. In batches, add the chicken to the pot, skin side down, and cook, turning occasionally, until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
5. Add the tomato paste to the pot and let it cook until it turns a darker shade of red, about 1 minute. Stir in the cumin, oregano, granulated onion, granulated garlic, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon pepper, and bay leaf. Add the wine and bring to a boil, scraping up the browned bits in the pan with a wooden spoon and dissolving the tomato paste. Return the chicken, skin side down, to the skillet. Add the water and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the pot, and simmer for 20 minutes, until the chicken is about half-cooked.
6. Return the chicken to a plate. Increase the heat under the pot to high and cook until the cooking liquid is reduced to a glaze, about 1 minute. Add the rice to the pot and mix well. Stir in the broth, beer, saffron, and ½ teaspoon salt. Nestle the chicken in the rice and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until the rice is tender and absorbs the liquid and the chicken shows no sign of pink at the bone, about 20 minutes. During the last 5 minutes, scatter the peas and roasted red pepper into the pot.
7. Remove the pot from the heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Discard the bay leaf. Serve hot, with the lemon wedges and remaining achiote oil passed at the table for drizzling.
CHICKEN MEATBALLS
in Creamy Mushroom Sauce With Whipped Ricotta
MAKES 4 SERVINGS
I began my restaurant career at an Italian restaurant in Rhode Island, so I know all about beef meatballs in red sauce. And I love them (my version is here). But, for a fantastic and delicious change of pace, try these beauties made with ground chicken and served in rich mushroom gravy. The secret is to handle the meat very gently during mixing and shaping; the reward will be super-light meatballs that almost float off the plate.
MUSHROOM SAUCE
4 ounces white button mushrooms, coarsely chopped
½ medium celery rib, chopped
½ small yellow onion, chopped
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth, plus more if needed
½ cup heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
CHICKEN MEATBALLS
1 pound ground chicken
½ cup whole milk
2 tablespoons olive oil (not extra-virgin)
1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¾ cup freshly grated Asiago or Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese
¾ cup panko (Japanese bread crumbs)
1 large egg, beaten
1 teaspoon minced fresh marjoram
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
WHIPPED RICOTTA
1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
¼ teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
Vegetable oil, for deep-frying
White truffle oil, for serving (optional)
Finely sliced fresh chives, for garnish (optional)
1. To make the sauce: Pulse the mushrooms, celery, and chopped onion together in a food processor until they are finely chopped. Melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the vegetable mixture and cook, stirring occasionally, until the mushroom liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the broth and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture reduces by half, about 15 minutes. Add the cream and boil until the sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes more. Puree the sauce with an immersion blender. If the sauce seems too thick, thin it with additional broth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (The sauce can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated for up to 2 days. Reheat in a saucepan before serving.)
2. To make the meatballs. Put the ground chicken and milk in a bowl, mix gently, and let stand for 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a medium skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion and garlic and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion is translucent, about 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and let the mixture cool slightly. Add the onion mixture, Asiago, panko, egg, marjoram, salt, and pepper to the chicken mixture and mix just until combined. Do not overmix or the meatballs will be heavy. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 1 hour or up to 4 hours.
4. To whip the ricotta: Process the ricotta and hot pepper flakes together in a food processor until the mixture is very smooth, about 30 seconds. Transfer to a bowl and let stand at room temperature to lose its chill, about 30 minutes.
5. Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat the oven to 350°F.
6. Using about ¼ cup for each, shape the chicken mixture into 12 balls and transfer to a plate.
7. To fry the meatballs: Line a baking sheet with paper towels and place near the stove. Pour enough oil into a large saucepan to come halfway up the sides and heat over high heat to 325°F on a deep-frying thermometer. In batches without crowding, add the meatballs and cook, turning them occasionally, until golden brown, 2½ to 3 minutes. The meatballs do not have to be entirely cooked through at this point. Using a wire spider or slotted spoon, transfer the browned meatballs to paper towels to drain.
8. Transfer the browned meatballs to a shallow baking dish and bake until they show no sign of pink when pierced to the center with a small sharp knife, about 15 minutes.
9. For each serving, spoon about ⅓ cup of the sauce into a shallow bowl and add 3 meatballs. Drizzle with truffle oil, if using, top with a dollop of the ricotta, and sprinkle with the chives, if using. Serve hot.