Grilled Red Chile-Buttermilk Brined Chicken w/ Mango Honey Glaze

Bobby Flay has some amazing recipes up his little sleeve but good Lord are they a lot of work.  This ain't 30 minute meals, people!  In fact, I was mentally prepared to make this for dinner one night -- I went to the store and gathered all the pertinent ingredients and spices, random dried peppers, etc -- when I read the first sentence of the instructions, "Place chicken in fridge for 4 to 24 hours".  DAMN!  I mean I totally had the 4 hours but 24 hours??!!  Of COURSE I have to marinate for 24 hours -- I can't half-ass this!!!  {Yet another example of reading the recipe all the way through before you get your heart set on a meal....however I guess I was just being stupid-pants because the word brine is in the recipe's title.  duh.}  

Well, giving the chicken 24 hours was well worth the wait -- the meat was so juicy and so flavorful -- there really are no words.  

I went ahead and served this delicious chicken over rice simply dressed with arugula and lime juice.  The mango honey glaze gets all gooey over the rice and it all just goes wonderfully together!  Put the time and ingredients into this lovely spin on the boring grilled chicken we are used to this time of year!  Spice things up a bit!

Grilled Red Chile-Buttermilk Brined Chicken w/ Mango Honey Glaze - 4 servings

Chicken:

1 quart buttermilk
2 tbsp ancho chile powder
1 tbsp new mexican chile powder
1 tbsp cascabel chile powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp granulated garlic
1 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
4 (8oz) skin on chicken breasts
4 chicken drumsticks
salt and pepper

Glaze:

2 tbsp canola oil
1 small spanish onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
3 large ripe mangos, peeled and chopped
1/2 c. dry white wine
1/4 c. pineapple juice
1/4 c. fresh orange juice
1/4-1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
3 tbsp honey
salt and pepper

1.  For chicken:  combine buttermilk and all spices.  Add chicken and turn to coat.  Place chicken in fridge for 4 to 24 hours, turning a few times.
2.  Remove chicken from brine and pat dry with paper towels.  Put chicken on a baking rack set over a baking sheet.  Return to fridge, uncovered for 1 to 4 hours.  
3.  For glaze:  heat oil in saute pan over medium high.  Add onion and cook until soft, 4 minutes.  Add garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add mangoes and cook until broken down and caramelized, 10 minutes.  Add white wine and cook until reduced by half, about 2 minutes.  
4.  Transfer glaze to blender; add pineapple juice, orange juice, and cayenne pepper.  Blend until smooth and strain into a small bowl and season with honey, salt and pepper.  Mixture should be a thick puree, thin with water if  necessary.  Cool to room temperature.
5.  Prepare grill to medium high heat.  Brush chicken with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Grill skin side down for 4 to 5 minutes.  Decrease heat to medium, close grill and cook 15 to 20 minutes.  During the last few minutes, brush chicken with some of glaze.  
6.  Remove chicken from grill to a platter with more glaze.  Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Crispy Fried Chicken with Chili Sauce

What’s better than fried chicken?  Answer: fried chicken smothered in a spicy cilantro-chile sauce.  Boom!  I saw this fantastic recipe on pinterest and I knew I had to make it immediately.  The chicken’s light, crispy exterior is perfect for keeping the meat moist and juicy, while providing that familiar crunch.  I served the chicken with rice and a mixture of spinach and baby bok choy sauteed in soy sauce and sesame oil.  It was the perfect complement to the chicken.  This would be a lovely meal for your Valentine if you’re cooking at home -- easy, yet impressive.  

Crispy Fried Chicken with Chili Sauce (2 servings)

from Cherry On My Sundae

Marinade:

2 chicken legs (drumstick and thigh), deboned, skinless

1 tbsp soy sauce

1 tbsp rice wine

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 spring onion, finely chopped

2 thin slices ginger, minced

1/2 tsp sugar

Sauce:

2 tbsp soy sauce

1/2 tsp Sichuan pepper, ground

1/2 tsp chili powder

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 tbsp rice vinegar

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp water

2 spring onions, finely chopped

1 fresh chili, seeds removed, finely chopped

1 cloves garlic, minced

1-2 fresh cilantro, leaves and stems finely chopped

2 tbsp sweet potato starch, potato starch, or cornstarch 

2 tbsp all purpose flour

oil for deep frying

Marinate the chicken by combining the soy sauce - 1/2 tsp sugar. Add the deboned chicken legs and toss to coat. Let stand for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile make the chili sauce by combining all the ingredients from the 2 tbsp soy sauce to the cilantro. Let stand for 15 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld together.

Preheat your fryer or frying oil to 325 degrees F. You can either pour about 2-3 cups of the frying oil into a deep pot or into a wok. 

Combine the sweet potato starch, potato starch or cornstarch with the ap flour. Coat the chicken in the flour mix, shaking off any excess. Carefully add the chicken to the heated oil and fry until the chicken is golden brown and cooked throughout, about 5 minutes. 

Remove from the oil and let rest on a paper towel for 1 minute. 

To serve, cut the chicken into strips and pour the dressing on top.