SAMBAL CHICKEN SKEWERS

Sambal Chicken Skewers // Wit & Vinegar

Hey guys, I made you some spicy chicken skewers. Like really good spicy chicken skewers. I wasn’t originally going to share the recipe, but decided I should after a couple bites. That’s why half that skewer is missing. I would say it was Mose, the dog, but that would only be the truth if that’s what I called my mouth. But I don’t think people nickname their mouth.

Let’s move on.

I talked about grilling more this last grocery list and now I feel even more strongly about needing to do it. I post-ited (totally a word) this recipe as soon as I saw it in the latest issue of Bon Appètit, along with a BBQ sauce recipe that I’m really excited to try out. The glaze for these skewers is the real winner, I can totally see it on zucchini or salmon, or just my face if I wanted it to feel like it was on fire.

The glaze just gets mixed around in a saucepan, you toss some with the chicken then boil down the rest until it thickens up, then grill the chicken and brush some sauce while it’s going. I  grilled up some asparagus while the sauce thickened and then sat there and ate all of it while the skewers cooked. There was a pound of it, almost completely gone by the time the skewers were cooked. Needless to say I’m not allowed to use a public restoom for at least 24 hours.

While these skewers are really good on their own, with some rice and grilled veggies, I could easily see the meat removed and piled high on a sandwich with Asian sub fixins like cucumber, carrot, and cilantro with a little extra of the sauce on top. This stuff is just really really good and wouldn’t you know, right on time for your 4th of July Festivities.

A quick tip about the skewers: I used thighs because that’s what the recipe called for, but I would much rather prefer chicken breast tenders or chicken breast next time, just a preference. Also I had a decent amount of marinade left over, but I had brushed directly onto the raw chicken from the pot so I was iffy about using the rest of it. Next time I plan on  putting just enough into a smaller bowl so I can use the rest on sandwiches or save it for later.

Sambal Chicken Skewers
from the July 2013 issue of Bon Appètit

1/2 c packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup unseasoned rice vinegar
1/3 cup hot chili paste (such as sambal oelek)*
1/4 cup fish sauce*
1/4 cup Sriracha
2 t finely grated peeled ginger
1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs or breast tenders, cut into 1 1/2-inch–2-inch pieces
*Check an Asian market for these for best options and prices.

If using bamboo skewers, soak in water for an hour so you aren’t a flaming mess in front of guests. Or take the safe route and invest in some metal skewers, mine are inexpensive ones from IKEA and they’re great.

Get your grill heating to medium high heat.

In a medium saucepan whisk together everything but the meat.

Place meat in a medium size bowl, and toss with about 1/3 c of the marinade. Bring the marinade in the saucepan to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 7-10 minutes. Use this time to put about 4 or 5 pieces of the meat on each skewer and set aside.

Once the marinade has reduced to a sauce, put about half in a small dish so you can brush it onto the meat as it cooks. Place skewers on grill and brush with sauce, then grill, turn and brush with sauce frequently until the meat is cooked through, 8-10 min.

 

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