Tag: main course
Lebanese-Style Grilled Chicken
Lebanese-Style Grilled Chicken
Djej mishwe is a Lebanese-style grilled chicken. The marinade used is garlicky and acidic; using a lot of lemon juice and red wine vinegar. After the chicken is marinated for 24 hours, the remaining marinade is cooked down and turned into a basting sauce. This chicken is best grilled over hardwood charcoal, but you can definitely use a gas grill or your oven’s broiler. You will want to sear the chicken over the charcoal for 8-10 minutes a side. Then grill the chicken indirectly for up to 25 minutes; basting and flipping every 5 minutes or so until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 180 degrees.
Equipment
- food processor
- gallon sized storage bag
- charcoal grill
- hardwood charcoal
- chimney starter
- Probe Thermometer
Ingredients
- 4 whole leg quarters thighs and drums separated
- 2 lemons juiced
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1 head garlic peeled
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp 7 spice
Instructions
- Add the marinade ingredients to the food processor and pulse until smooth.
- Marinate the chicken pieces in a gallon sized storage bag for 24 hours.
- Save the remaining marinade and cook down in a saucepan over medium heat for 10 minutes. This will be used to baste the chicken.
- Use a chimney starters worth of charcoal for your grill. Place in the front half of the grill. Once grey, place the grill rack over the charcoal. Place the chicken pieces skin side up over the charcoal. Grill for 10 minutes, covered.
- Flip the chicken over. Grill for another 10 minutes, covered.
- Flip the chicken again. Move the chicken slightly away from the charcoal. Continue grilling the chicken for up to 20-25 minutes; basting every 5 minutes and occasionally flipping. You will want dark meat to reach an internal temperature of 180 degrees using a probe thermometer.
Raw Beef Salad
Raw Beef Salad
While this is more of a Cambodian-style carpaccio than a salad, this dish is extremely easy to make and will impress your dinner guests. The beef is technically raw, but gets cooked in the acidity of the lime juice; much like ceviche. The beef salad gets tossed with peanuts, chilies, and cilantro at the end of marination and is served with slices of cucumber.
Equipment
- mortar and pestle
Ingredients
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 3 limes juiced
- 3 tbsp palm sugar
- 2 stalks lemongrass finely chopped
- 2 shallots finely chopped
- 3 garlic cloves finely minced
- 1 lb top sirloin trimmed of all fat; sliced 1/8” thick or less
- 1 red chilies thinly sliced
- 2 oz toasted peanuts
- 8 basil leaves
- 1/2 small white onion thinly sliced
- 1 cucumber peeled; thinly sliced
- 1/4 cup cilantro chopped
Instructions
- Pound in a mortar and pestle the 2 tbsp of palm sugar with the juice of 2 limes and 2 tbsp of fish sauce.
- Toss with the onions, shallots, lemongrass, garlic, and basil.
- Add in the thinly sliced beef. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for 2 hours.
- Pour out the marinade. Stir in the rest of the fish sauce, palm sugar, and lime juice. Toss with the peanuts and red chilies.
Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and Grits
Shrimp and grits is one of my favorite southern dishes. Originating from coastal South Carolina, this dish consists of a rich, bacony gravy with bell peppers, onions, and shrimp ladled over creamy cheddar grits.
Ingredients
- 1 lb shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
- 1/2 lemon juiced
- 6 slices bacon or 2 links of andouille sausage; diced
- 1 small green bell pepper diced
- 1 small red bell pepper diced
- 1 small yellow onion finely diced
- 2 tbsp butter
- 2 tbsp flour
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
- 1/2 cup cheddar cheese shredded
Grits
- 1 1/2 cups water
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 cup coarse ground grits
- 1 cup half and half
Instructions
- Season the shrimp with salt and cayenne pepper. Squeeze over the lemon juice and let marinate for 15 minutes.
- Bring the water and salt to a boil. Whisk in the grits.
- Whisk in the half and half. Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes until thickened. Cover and set aside.
- Brown the bacon in a large saucepan for 8 minutes. Remove from the pan and save the grease.
- Sauté the onions, bell peppers, and garlic in the bacon grease for 8 minutes over medium high heat. Remove from the pan.
- Add in the butter. Whisk in the flour. Turn the heat to low and allow a dark roux to form; about 8 minutes.
- Add the bacon and sautéed vegetables back into the roux.
- Pour in the chicken stock and Worcestershire sauce and whisk.
- Turn the heat up to medium. Add in the shrimp.
- Cook for 5 minutes until the shrimp are cooked through.
- Stir in the cheddar cheese to the grits.
