Saturday, May 2, 2009

Smoky Orange Grilled Chicken



Grilling season is upon us once more! When the warm spring weather finally rolls in after months of snow and dreary skies, we grill almost every night so I'm always on the lookout for new ingredients to spice up our usual grilled chicken dishes. Chicken seasoned with Spanish smoked paprika, olive oil and garlic is a family favorite but even our favorites can get a little boring if we eat them too often. So I went on a supermarket mission to find something different to add to the smoked paprika marinade that I usually make. In the international food aisle, a bottle of Goya Bitter Orange caught my eye so I brought it home and added a big splash to the smoked paprika marinade. All I can say is WOW! Bitter Orange + smoked paprika = YUM! Don't be fooled by the bitter designation because the flavor isn't truly bitter, but rather a really strong orange flavor without the sweetness inherent in the orange juice that you drink for breakfast. You wouldn't drink bitter orange juice on its own but it's awesome in marinades and I imagine you could make a mean cocktail with it.

If you're lucky enough to get your hands on some fresh sour oranges or bitter oranges, then by all means juice those babies and use the fresh juice instead of the bottled stuff. Sour or bitter oranges aren't stocked at my local supermarket but I wonder if they're available at the Latino market in the next town over. Field trip!

SMOKY ORANGE GRILLED CHICKEN
printer friendly recipe

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup bitter orange juice
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 large bay leaf, crumbled

Whisk together all of the ingredients, except the chicken.

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl or in an extra-large ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn the pieces until they are coated in the marinade. If using a bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap. If using a ziplock bag, gently press out the extra air before closing the top.

Refrigerate the chicken for 6-8 hours. For best results, turn the chicken in the marinade after a few hours.

Let the chicken rest in the marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Heat grill to medium high.

Gently shake off any excess marinade from the chicken pieces before placing on the grill. Grill for approximately 10 minutes per side for large pieces, such as the breast or thigh. Smaller pieces like the wing will cook much faster so turn them after 5 or 6 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when pricked with a fork or small knife.

Serves 4.
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Posted by Janée
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4 comments:

  1. Janée, You are such an innovative cook--this sounds marvelous

    Next sunny day that comes along long this week, I'm going to try this.
    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Lorraine. That's a real compliment coming from you. I always say that you can create great meals even when you're out of fresh ideas if you take a stroll around your supermarket and look for one new ingredient to add to an old favorite.

    Have a Happy Mothers Day!
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  3. Hi Janée:

    I can't yet find the Bitter Orange Juice---though it may well be because I sent hubby to the store for the last two shops. He swears he scrutinized the Goya section.

    (I remain unconvinced---will try to hunt it down myself.)

    My foodie son is home from college and eager to try this recipe. I also raved about Almost Jerk Chicken that we've prepared several times at our house.

    Son mentioned he'd like to try a dry rub for grilled jerk chicken. Wonder if you know a linked recipe or have any suggestions.
    ReplyDelete
  4. Hi Lorraine!

    If you can't find the Goya Bitter Orange Juice then maybe you can try a substitution. This really neat site lists some ideas for food substitutions: http://www.foodsubs.com/Juice.html. It says to substitute lime and orange juice for bitter orange juice. Sounds like a great idea to me. The fresh lime juice will cut the sweetness of regular orange juice so it will probably taste very similar.

    You must be so thrilled to have your son back at home for a little while. My son is only nine but I already get teary when I think about him moving away for college. I hope that my son grows up to love cooking with his mom, just like your boy!

    As for a jerk rub, I usually look on online and then end up combining a few recipes to make a new original recipe. I don't think I've ever made the same jerk rub twice! I like these recipes as starting points: http://www.recipezaar.com/Jamaican-Jerk-Dry-Rub-10710 and http://www.bigoven.com/80201-Dry-Jerk-Rub-recipe.html. I always, always, always include thyme and allspice in my jerk no matter what else I add because that's the flavor combination that says "Jamaican jerk" to me. Let me know what recipe you create so I can try it too!
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