MARINATED GRILLED CHICKEN THIGHS
- 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon dark chili powder
- 1-2 pounds chicken strips cut from chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- 1⁄4 cup peanut oil, for grilling
- 2 dozen butter Bibb lettuce leaves
- 1⁄4 cup fresh cilantro leaves
Directions:
In a mixing bowl whisk together the yogurt, ginger, garlic, and cumin & chili powder. In a plastic re-sealable bag add the chicken strips and the marinade and making sure they are covered totally. Seal the bag and let the chicken marinate in the refrigerator for up to 2 hours. Place a grill pan over medium heat and brush it with oil to prevent the meat from sticking. Grill the chicken for 3 to 5 minutes on each side, until nicely seared and cooked through. Serve the chicken on a platter with lettuce leaves and cilantro; accompanied by a small bowl of peanut sauce on the side. Entice your guests to use the lettuce leaves as wraps adding chicken, the peanut butter sauce and cilantro leaves or cilantro oil to the wrap.
PEANUT SAUCE
- 3/4 cup fresh peanut butter
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons Red Chili & Garlic Sauce
- 1⁄4 teaspoon Sriracha Chili Sauce (more according to your desired heat level)
- 2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
- 2 limes, juiced
- 1/2 cup hot water
- 1⁄4 cup chopped fresh cilantro or cilantro oil (check out recipe below)
Puree until it is smooth. Pour the sauce into a nice serving bowl and garnish with the chopped cilantro or drizzle cilantro oil. Serve with chicken wraps. The peanut butter sauce can be used with Pad Thai noodles as well.
CILANTRO OIL
- 1 bunch cilantro
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- salt and white pepper
“Shock” the cilantro by removing it from the boiling water and adding it to an ice and water bath. Drain the cilantro and pat dry. In a blender add your cilantro, salt, white pepper and extra virgin olive oil. Blend until it is smooth on medium speed for about 2 to 3 minutes. Store this mixture overnight in your refrigerator so the herb pieces that weren’t fully pureed can settle and still add flavor overnight.
The next day filter the oil through a coffee filter or cheesecloth and store in the refrigerator until needed.
NOTE: When using extra virgin olive oil you will find that it thickens when refrigerated.
Allow the cilantro oil to come to room temperature and it will regain its regular viscosity. This and other herb oils will keep up to two weeks without losing too much of its color and flavor. You can use this same method for numerous herb oils!
Gianluca Paris is the Executive Chef and owner of Luca’s Mediterranean Café, a fine dining restaurant, The Market at Luca’s, offering light bistro style fare and gourmet take out and Luca's Culinary Journey Catering in Keene, New Hampshire, where he lives with his wife Lindy and his two children. He is the recipient of many accolades, including “Excellence in Dining” and “Best Service/Wait staff” every year since 2002 from Market Surveys of America, along with “Best Mediterranean Restaurant,” “Best Fine Dining Restaurant,” “Best Caterer in New Hampshire,” and, for four years, “Best Restaurant in the Monadnock Region” from New Hampshire Magazine.