Emeril's Caribbean Chicken

Recipe from Everyday Food Magazine and Husband Tested in Alice's Kitchen

Our friend, Andy, had a birthday a couple of weeks ago, so we had him and his wife, Linda, over for a nice lunch. We used local chicken bought at Lost River Market & Deli along with all of the other ingredients for this dish and the side dishes. Because I thought this would be a bit spicy, I served a cool creamy cole slaw (recipe on this blog) and a green salad using local produce. The marinade flavored the chicken nicely, but we didn't find it spicy hot at all, so don't be afraid of the jalepenos. For a special treat because it was a birthday dinner, I served the Chantilly Merengues with Pastry Cream with Cognac (recipe on this blog) topped with raspberries and blueberries from our garden along with gooseberries we got at the Orange County HomeGrown Farmers Market which are also available at Lost River Market & Deli. We are so fortunate to have these wonderful sources of our local bounty right here in Orange County!



Serves 4-6 people

4 scallions, ends trimmed, cut into thirds
2 to 4 jalapeno chiles (or to taste), stems and seeds removed if you wish it to be milder (use gloves)
6 garlic cloves, peeled
3-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons light-brown sugar
1 tablespoon pumpkin-pie spice
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 whole chicken (about 3 1/2 pounds), giblets and liver discarded (I used 4 chicken breasts bone in plus 8 chicken legs.)
Vegetable oil, for grates
Coarse salt
In a food processor, combine scallions, chiles, garlic, ginger, lime juice, soy sauce, sugar, pumpkin-pie spice, and thyme; puree into a thick paste. Set aside.
To butterfly chicken: Using a knife or poultry shears, cut out the backbone. With a heavy pot, crack breastplate so the bird lays flat. Place butterflied chicken in a gallon-size resealable plastic bag. Rub reserved paste over chicken, and seal bag. Refrigerate for 12 hours (or up to 1 day).
Heat grill to medium-low; lightly oil grates. Wipe chicken with paper towels to remove excess paste, and season with 1 tablespoon coarse salt. Place, skin side down, on grill and cook, turning occasionally, until lightly charred and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of a thigh (avoiding bone) registers 165 degrees, 35 to 40 minutes (if browning too quickly, move to a cooler part of grill). (It took about 5 minutes longer on our grill.) Let rest 5 minutes before serving.