Chicken and Egg - Janice Cole [26]
* * *
Stir together the mirin, soy sauce and sake in a glass measuring cup. Pour 1 cup of the mixture into a small saucepan for the grilling sauce and set aside. Add the canola oil to the remaining mixture for the marinade. Put the chicken pieces in a large resealable plastic bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken, seal the bag, and put in a shallow pan. Marinate in the refrigerator for 6 to 8 hours.
Meanwhile, bring the grilling sauce in the saucepan to a boil. Boil for 4 to 5 minutes over medium-high heat until slightly syrupy and reduced to a generous ½ cup. Soak twelve 8-inch bamboo skewers in water for 20 minutes so they are less likely to burn.
Preheat the grill to medium-low. Remove the chicken from the marinade, saving the marinade. To assemble each skewer, alternate three pieces of chicken with two pieces of green onion, placing one mushroom cap in the middle of the skewer and one piece of bell pepper on the end. Brush the skewers with the marinade.
Oil the grill grate. To reduce the charring on the skewers, put a piece of triple-folded heavy-duty foil at one end of the grill and place the bare ends of the skewers on the foil. Cover the grill and cook the skewers for 10 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, turning every 2 minutes and brushing with the reserved grilling sauce during the last 6 minutes.
Serve immediately.
NOTE
The skewers can be assembled and refrigerated for up to 2 hours before cooking.
SERVES 4
AS A MAIN COURSE OR 12 AS AN APPETIZER
1 cup mirin
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sake or dry sherry
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 ¼ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into thirty-six 1-inch pieces
12 green onions (white and light green parts), each cut into two 2 ½-inch lengths (24 pieces)
12 shiitake mushroom caps (about 3 ounces)
1 orange bell pepper, seeded, deveined, and cut into 12 pieces
Crispy Orange Chicken with Spring Vegetables
For this dish, the chicken breasts are dipped in orange juice and then coarse bread crumbs, resulting in crunchy-crisp oven-fried chicken, permeated with the bright, fresh flavors of oranges. The orange flavor is echoed in the colorful Asian-style carrots, asparagus, and leeks served alongside.
* * *
Preheat the oven to 400°F. Line a small, rimmed baking sheet with foil. Stir together ¼ cup of the orange juice, 1 teaspoon of the orange zest, 1 teaspoon of the ginger, and half the garlic in a shallow bowl. Put the panko in another shallow bowl and toss with the melted butter until the crumbs are moistened. Sprinkle the chicken with ¼ teaspoon each of the salt and pepper.
Dip the chicken into the orange juice mixture, pressing some of the ginger, garlic, and orange zest onto the meat. Coat with the panko mixture, pressing and patting the crumbs on to adhere. Place on the baking sheet. Bake for 20 minutes or until lightly browned and no longer pink in the center.
Meanwhile, stir together the remaining ½ cup of orange juice, ¼ teaspoon of orange zest, ½ teaspoon of salt, ¼ teaspoon of pepper, and the sesame oil in a small bowl. Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Heat the canola oil. Add the carrots and asparagus and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Add the leeks and cook for 1 minute. Add the remaining teaspoon of ginger and the remaining garlic and cook for 30 seconds, or until fragrant. Pour in the orange juice mixture, bring to a simmer, cover, and cook for 2 minutes, or until the vegetables are almost crisp-tender. Uncover, increase the heat to high, and boil for 1 minute, or until the sauce is slightly thickened. Serve the vegetables with the chicken.
SERVES 4
¾ cup orange juice
1 ¼ teaspoons grated orange zest
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup panko (coarse bread crumbs)
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves (about 1 ½ pounds)
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 cup julienned carrots
8 ounces asparagus spears, trimmed and cut