#172 Lechon Manok: Filipino Lemongrass Roasted Chicken

This is an all-time favorite in our home in the Philippines and here in San Jose, California.  The secret to the delicious aroma is the lemongrass. We call in tanglad in Filipino. I wish I have the same bush we have in Lupon so I can bring the freshest ones to the table... Maybe I should try planting one this spring.

Lemongrass or citronella grass or tanglad is commonly used in Asian Cuisine. It is also used as medicine, it is supposed to help relieve cough and nasal congestion,  and it also anti-fungal properties. 

It is fragrant, I love how it smells. I have a bottle of lemongrass essential oil in my bathroom, and I mix it with my patchouli, neroli and rose essential oils, it makes the bath water smells amazing. This great plant is also used to make perfumes. So can you imagine what your roasted chicken will smell like  after you take it out from the oven? :) Trust me, it will smell delicious.

Ready to make it? Here's how I made mine:

LECHON MANOK

Ingredients:

• 1 roasting chicken

• lemon grass

• 6 garlic

• 1 onion

• salt

• pepper

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 F.
2. Remove the giblets, if there are any from the cavity of the chicken, generously add salt and pepper into the cavity. Fill it with the garlic, cut onions, lemongrass and giblets if there any. Add as many lemon grass as you can fit it in there.
3. Line a large baking pan with lemon grass stalks.
4. Truss the chicken and place it breast side up, and place it on top of the lemongrass. Roast in the second bottom rack of the oven until the bird is golden on the outside and leg join moves easily when you rotate it. About 1 hour.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven, add salt and pepper generously all over. Flip the bird onto breast side down on the lined lemongrass and return it in the oven and let it there for another 20 minutes.
6. Carve the chicken and enjoy!

If you enjoyed this post, follow this blog as we will be posting 193 more recipes! 193 recipes to discover, learn to cook, take pictures and post here to complete the goal of 365! 

Will I finish this big task? Check back often to see my progress! xo Van 

#163 India's Murgh Makhani/Butter Chicken

I first tried butter chicken at my client's restaurant. I really liked it and since then I have been looking for a simple recipe to use. Now I found it! 

In this dish, the chicken is cooked in mild curry sauce. It is known to be developed by the Moti Mahal Restaurant in Delhi, India in the 1950's. The chicken is flavorful because it is marinated for several hours in the fridge before cooking. The house smelled like delicious curry and I am getting hungry just thinking about it! :)

My first butter chicken is not that thick because I didn't use cashew paste or any flours for thickening. I used yogurt and cream. I had to omit peanuts, because I am very sensitive to it. It is very interesting how I have developed sensitivity to it after many years of not ingesting it due to my daughter's peanut and tree nut allergies. 

After much anticipation, this butter chicken recipe turned out to be so good, it is super creamy..rich in flavor and uber simple to prepare. I ate it with Quinoa, but this dish goes perfect with basmati or brown rice.

Although I listed "organic" ingredients which just means I used organic by choice, you don't have to buy and use the organic variety for the ingredients. I'm sure it will still taste as fantastic as this dish!

MURGH MAKHANI or INDIAN BUTTER CHICKEN 

Ingredients: 

1 1/2 full-fat organic Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons organic lemon juice

1 1/2 tablespoons turmeric powder

2 tablespoons garam masala

2 tablespoons ground cumin

3 pounds organic chicken thighs, on the 

1/4 pound unsalted organic butter

4 tablespoons canola oil

2 medium-size organic yellow onions, diced

4 cloves organic garlic, minced

3 tablespoons organic fresh ginger, finely chopped

1 tablespoon cumin seeds

1 cinnamon stick

2 medium sized organic tomatoes

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and diced

salt to taste

2/3 cup organic chicken stock

1 1/2 cups organic cream

1 1/2 teaspoons tomato paste

3 tablespoons ground almonds

1/2 bunch cilantro leaves

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large steel or glass bowl, combine the yogurt, lemon juice, turmeric, garam masala and cumin. Mix thoroughly. Add the chicken, mix well, until fully coated with marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 8 hours. You can make this ahead and cook the next day too, do not refrigerate for more than a day.
2. In a large pan over medium heat, melt the butter in the oil until it starts to foam. 
3. Add onions, and cook until translucent. 
4. Add the garlic, ginger and cumin seeds.
5. Add the cinnamon stick, tomatoes, jalapeños, and salt and let cook for about 10  minutes.
6. Add the chicken and brown, then add the marinade to the pan and cook for 5 minutes.
7. Add chicken stock and bring to boil, then lower the heat and simmer, uncovered for 30 minutes.
8. Add the tomato paste and stir. Simmer until chicken is cooked, about 15 minutes.
9. Add the almonds.
10. Garnish with cilantro leaves.
11. Enjoy!

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#161 Chicken Tikka Masala

"Chicken tikka masala is a dish of roasted chunks of chicken (chicken tikka) in a spicy sauce. The sauce is usually creamy, spiced and orange-coloured."

I enjoyed making this dish. It turned out great! I needed to be a little careful handling the kitchen, I used disposable gloves  since I had to thread it onto the skewers before broiling it in the oven. I was too lazy to fire up the grill! Well actually, I didn't want to grill the chicken, I do not enjoy working with the grill, too much smoke gets into my eyes and heat on my face all the time..and so I decided to turn to the oven. I can get very creative in order to make things happen, as you can see in the photos below, I used a glass baking dish to hold the skewers and catch the juice.  Suddenly the dreadful task of grilling became easy, thanks to the oven! When you start making this dish, you will need a lot of patience, just know that in the end, you will have an out-of-this-world yummy dish! I was easy on the cayenne and the fresh jalapeño peppers, but that's just because I am not a fan of too much heat in my food anymore. You can add more if you want firecrackers in your mouth with every bite, I'm pretty sure it will be spectacular.

Here are a few fun facts I found on the internet about this delicious dish, with links provided to the source:

In 2001, British Foreign Secretary Robin Cook declared that "Chicken Tikka Masala is now a true British national dish, not only because it is the most popular, but because it is a perfect illustration of the way Britain absorbs and adapts external influences." He went on to explain that "Chicken Tikka is an Indian dish. The Masala sauce was added to satisfy the desire of British people to have their meat served in gravy."

The claim that Chicken Tikka Masala is a British "National dish," however met with both acclamation and skeptical opposition.

A 2012 survey of 2,000 people in the United Kingdom claimed that it is that country's second most popular foreign dish to cook, after Chinese stir fry.

Source HERE 

Ready to make your own?   

CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA 

Ingredients 

Marinade:

• 1 cup organic yogurt (Greek)

• 1 tablespoons lemon juice

• 2 tablespoons ground cumin

• 1 teaspoon cinnamon

• 2 teaspoons ground pepper

• 1 tablespoons minced fresh ginger

• 1/2 teaspoons salt

• 1/8 cayenne pepper

• 3 boneless organic chicken breasts

• bamboo skewers

Sauce:

• 1 block of organic butter

• 2 cloves of garlic, minced

• 1 jalapeno pepper, minced (I used 1/4)

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 2 teaspoons paprika

• 1 can tomato sauce

• 1 cup heavy cream

• salt to taste

Garnish:

• fresh cilantro, chopped

DIRECTIONS:

1. In a large glass bowl, combine all the marinade ingredients, and the chicken, mix thoroughly. Cover and store in the refrigerator for 1 hour.
2. Thread chicken onto skewers
3. Broil chicken in the oven, or grill--oil the grate to make sure the chicken does not stick onto it. I broiled it around 5 minutes, or until you achieve that "grilled or broiled look--see pic above". 
4. Once chicken is cool, remove the chicken from skewers.
5. In a large skillet, melt butter over medium low heat,  add garlic until brown and jalapeño.
6. Add the rest of the ingredients, simmer on low heat.
7. Add the grilled chicken and simmer for another 10 minutes.
8. Check salt and heat, add more according to your taste. 
9. Enjoy!

  

That was lovely, so much fun learning to cook a new favorite! (^.^)

#158 Chicken Paprikash

Before moving to the US, I never used Paprika in my cooking. And I remember the first time I bought a bottle of the spice, it was for the Goulash that I made almost two years ago. Now, thanks to this blog, I learned that there a few varieties, and that the Hungarian Paprika has the strongest flavor of them all, and so I bought a bottle last weekend. This recipe is bursting with flavors! If you have kids or anyone joining for dinner who cannot stand the heat, then I recommend decreasing the amount of this fragrant red spice and the red pepper flakes. If you don't and you like intense heat, then by all means, dump as much Paprika as you can take, personally, I can never really have too much of it! :)

I also omitted the flour from this recipe, but if you need to thicken the sauce, then you can add about 2 tablespoons of all-purpose flour. It was still definitely delicious without it. :) I also list organic ingredients, but this is optional, it simply means I used the organic variety for that ingredient. I also created Spaetzle from scratch, it's a pasta that is highly recommended as a side dish, since I have eliminated all grains from my diet, my daughter gladly taste tested it and loved it. 

CHICKEN PAPRIKASH

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsps olive oil
•  2 large organic onion, chopped
•  3 cloves of organic garlic, minced
•  1 cup water
•  1 whole organic chicken, cut into pieces
•  1 tsp. crushed
•  red pepper flakes
•  4 tablespoons Hungarian paprika
•  1 8 oz. organic canned diced tomatoes  
•  1 8 oz. organic sour cream
•  2 tbsps. flour (optional, you can do without)
•  salt and pepper to taste 

Directions:

1. Heat olive oil, add onion, garlic, salt, red pepper flakes and paprika. Stir together until onion is translucent. Add chicken and the water. Cook over medium heat for 1 hour, adding more water if necessary.
2. Stir in tomatoes, reserving liquid. Stir liquid into a medium bowl with sour cream; mix until well blended, then slowly add mixture to chicken, stirring constantly. Cook until well blended. If adding the flour, stir it with the sour cream and diced tomatoes liquid and cook until the sauce is thickened.  Salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy it! 

Here are my pre-shopped ingredients  for you, just click on each image and it will take you to Amazon.com :

#154 Moringa Chicken Soup

I was extremely happy when I found Moringa, or commonly known as Malunggay or Kamunggay in the Philipppines,  at the produce section at Seafood City, a Filipino grocery store in Milpitas, California. It's been too long since I had it. I ate Moringa in the Philippines almost every day for the first 27 years of my life. When I moved to California, I didn't think this vegetable that grows into mini trees in warmer climates is available here in the Bay Area! 

I also didn't know how nutritious it was! We always cooked it back home, but I guess in some countries, it is consumed raw as a salad or mixed into a blender creating super healthy drink. It is rich in protein, beta-carotene, vitamin C, potassium and calcium. The leaves tastes somewhat like spinach, but with a stronger flavor. I also found out that Moringa offers healing benefits. Virtually all parts of the plant are used to treat inflammation, infectious disorders, and various problems of the cardiovascular and digestive organs, while improving liver function. I do know that it is used in enhancing milk flow in nursing mothers, so while I was nursing, I consumed a lot of Moringa. The uses of moringa are well documented in both the Ayurvedic and Unani systems of traditional medicine, among the most ancient healing systems in the world. No wonder, every time I was sick, a warm bowl full of Moringa Chicken Soup always helped! Moringa is rich in a variety of health-enhancing compounds, including moringine, moringinine, the potent antioxidants quercetin, kaempferol, rhamnetin, and various polyphenols. The leaves seem to be getting the most market attention, notably for their use in reducing high blood pressure, eliminating water weight, and lowering cholesterol. There are Moringa pills available in the market, I remember seeing an ad online, but I didn't know Moringa is the Malunggay/Kamunggay that I oh so love!

You will want to remove the leaves from the stems, because it remains tough even after it's cooked. Last weekend, my daughter volunteered to do it for me. She had fun, and watching her do it gave me joy, I remember how I loved this same task when I was a child. :) 

My favorite dish to make with Moringa or Malunggay is TINOLANG MANOK or Chicken Soup. It's super easy to make since I use only 3 ingredients in addition to the water and a little bit of salt. The blend of the vegetables and broth was simply delicious. 

TINOLANG MANOK (Chicken Soup with Moringa)

Ingredients:

• Chicken breasts, cubed 
• Moringa leaves 
• Chayote, peeled and cubed
• Water

Directions:

1. In a pot, boil water in high heat and then add the salt and the Chicken breasts. Reduce heat and let the chicken cook, about 15 minutes.    
2. Add peeled and sliced chayote. Careful not to overcook.  
3. Turn off heat, add Moringa and cover the pot.  
4. Salt and pepper to taste. Add Chopped Jalapeno peppers for added heat. (optional)

Enjoy! :) 

#147 Greek Inspired Roasted Chicken

Roasted Chicken is one of the  easiest dishes to  fix for dinner and it is healthy too. I made this Mediterranean inspired Greek Roasted Chicken. We had a jar full of kalamata olives and so I decided to make a rub using it. Herbs were a plenty since it was on sale for $.99, grocery discounts always make me happy, especially if they sell herbs for  half the original price, organic herbs  can get pricey but it is essential in good cooking and in my opinion, must never be skipped. I've always wanted to start planting my favorite herbs, and will do so very soon. Finally I will have a small herb garden, I need to :)  as you can see in the photo below, I used lots of fresh herbs! I actually overstuffed the poor bird! But I think I will be forgiven, because it's main purpose is to nourish another form of life, not only did it nourish us, it gave us joy. :) I wanted to find out if  using all the herbs will add a strong unbearable flavor to the chicken, but the result was quite the opposite! It was delicious, the flavors were not shy, yet far from overwhelming. It was a perfect blend of the fresh and dried herbs, lemon, garlic and the kalamata olives.

Yield: 4-6 servings

GREEK INSPIRED ROASTED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

Whole roasting chicken

1/4 cup butter

2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint

1/4 teaspoon dried oregano

1/4 teaspoon dried basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 cup jarred kalamata olives, finely chopped

1 lemon, quartered

1 onion quartered

sprig of fresh thyme

sprig of fresh sage

sprig of fresh mint

sprig of fresh rosemary

sprig of fresh basil

4 cloves of garlic

Directions:

1. Pre-heat oven to 450 F. Rinse the chicken and pat it dry all over with paper towels. Remove the giblets from the cavity of the chicken, generously add salt and pepper into the cavity, and return the giblets. Squeeze the lemon in the cavity, then add the lemon itself, pushing in each half gently. Insert quartered onions, garlic and all the fresh herbs: thyme, sage, mint, rosemary, basil.
2. In a small bowl, combine:  1/4 cup butter, 2 teaspoons chopped fresh mint,1/4 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/4 teaspoon dried basil, 1/4 teaspoon salt, 1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper. Gradually working your fingers under the skin to gently loosen it so it does not tear. Rub the mixture under the skin, and all over the chicken. 
3. Gently slip chopped kalamata olives under the skin.
4. Truss the chicken and place it breast side up, on a rack if you like, in a large baking pan. Roast in the center of the oven until the bird is golden on the outside and the leg joint moves easily when you rotate it, about 1 hour.
5. Remove the chicken from the oven, add pepper generously all over. Flip the  bird onto the breast side and let it rest, uncovered for at least 15 minutes and as long as 30.
6. Carve the chicken and arrange it on a warmed serving platter. Cut the giblets into thin slices and arrange them on the platter. If a substantial amount of cooking juices remain in the baking pan, place it over medium heat and bring to boil. Scrape up any browned bits, stir in 1/2 cup of water, and pour the juice over the chicken.

So if you are not gentle in adding the rub in between the meat and skin of the chicken, you will tear the skin, just like what happened here.

I added more kalamata olives in the roasting pan and some parsley too which cooked great with the chicken. We loved it! Roasting chicken at home is fun and it tastes so much better!

#129 Spicy Thai Chicken Basil

 

There are those special days of the month when I feel  so enthusiastic about cooking a well-planned menu for the day,  and just killing it dish after dish and often wanting to cook more. Those days are the result of good planning, a well-stocked fridge, lots of extra time and an inspiration- such as, a  hungry child who is always excited about everything you make and  a cooking blog. :)  Then there's the majority of the days of the month when I find myself not wanting to be the home kitchen superstar, wishing someone could take over my role for a day..especially after working long hours in front of a laptop.. and before I could even finish,  it's time to make dinner. One day I found  myself staring at the fridge and after finding just a single package of uncooked chicken breast fillets left, I let out a big sigh, so tempted to just make a quick soup or throw it in the oven. Most days I really don't know what to cook..I rely upon my Iphone to search for ideas at the last minute. While looking at  the chicken, I started thinking about what I could do with it.. if only I had a well-stocked kitchen that day, and if only the grocery store is not a 30-minute drive away. Next, the vegetable bin is inspected..and there's 3/4 of a huge red bell pepper, left over ginger, a single serrano chili pepper, and a bunch of basil and mint that smelled so good. At that moment, I did not know what to do and so for a minute I sat and wished that I did not procrastinate on buying food to last for days. Then a blessing came. A roaring blessing. Where I got the idea of what I made was given to me by my daughter roaring at my face with her tongue sticking out, literally. "ROAAAARRRR"..."That's how the people in Thailand intimidate their enemies while doing the Haka, see? ROOOOOARRRRRR..right? that's what Captain Sean said"..."Oh haha, Captain Sean and his island adventures...no, not Thailand, it's New Zealand, hey it rhymes", I replied. Right when she mentioned Thailand, I remembered this dish I saw on TV several years ago, a celebrity chef added basil in chicken stir fry. Spicy Thai Chicken Basil-I've tried it many times a few years ago, it's really good. Then it dawned on me that the left over veggies I had in the fridge was just enough for what I needed to make the delicious dish. Thanks to the roaring girl! Soon I felt good about cooking something delicious again, and  I'm glad I found this recipe that I slightly tweaked from Cooking Light. (I'm a huge fan). What I love about this dish? The heat...wow, it lifted me to the roof. Serrano chili pepper was just perfect for the much needed heat but I think  the heat is just too much for kids, it definitely was for mine. I served the peppers on the side then added it on my plate, and my little one enjoyed it without the minced chile peppers. We omitted the fish sauce for her plate too because of her allergies, she didn't complain, she loved it. A quick cooking and delicious dish, it was a great dinner!

SPICY THAI CHICKEN BASIL

Ingredients:

4 teaspoons canola oil, divided
1/2 cup minced shallots
1/2 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper
4 teaspoons minced fresh garlic
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, thinly sliced into strips
1 pound chicken breast fillets, sliced 
2 Thai or serrano chiles, minced
1 tablespoon fish sauce 
2 teaspoons dark brown sugar 
2 teaspoons lower-sodium soy sauce 
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 
1 cup basil leaves 
1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 
4 lime wedges

Directions:

1.  Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add shallots; sauté 2 minutes. Add bell pepper; sauté 1 minute. Add garlic and ginger; sauté 30 seconds. Remove shallot mixture from pan.
2. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pan; swirl to coat. Add chicken; cook 5 minutes or until browned, stirring to crumble. Drain well. Return chicken to pan over medium heat. Add chiles; cook 1 minute. Add shallot mixture to pan. Stir in fish sauce and next 3 ingredients (through black pepper); cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Remove pan from heat; stir in basil and juice. Serve with lime wedges.

The Jalapeno pepper has 5,000 Scoville heat units.

The Serrano pepper (above) has 25,000 Scoville heat units!

The hottest chile peppers out there are the Habaneros, with a whopping 325,000 to 570,000 Scoville heat units!! Not sure if  I will even try it!

Delicious!

#124 Chicken Piccata

Chicken Piccata  is an Italian dish, it consists mainly of butterflied chicken breast, coated and served in butter sauce whisked in the same pan the chicken is cooked. Traditionally in Italy, veal is used for Piccata. Our delicious Chicken Piccata had capers which added a pleasantly intense flavor to our dish. Very easy, it cooked very fast, the taste? Very, very good!

Yield: Serves 4

CHICKEN PICCATA

Ingredients

2 skinless and boneless chicken breasts, butterflied and then cut in half
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
All-purpose flour, for dredging
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup brined capers, rinsed
1/3 cup fresh parsley, chopped

Directions:

1. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Dredge chicken in flour and shake off excess.
2. In a large skillet over medium high heat, melt 2 tablespoons of butter with 3 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add 2 pieces of chicken and cook for 3 minutes. When chicken is browned, flip and cook other side for 3 minutes. Remove and transfer to plate. Melt 2 more tablespoons butter and add another 2 tablespoons olive oil. When butter and oil start to sizzle, add the other 2 pieces of chicken and brown both sides in same manner. Remove pan from heat and add chicken to the plate.
3. Into the pan add the lemon juice, stock and capers. Return to stove and bring to boil, scraping up brown bits from the pan for extra flavor. Check for seasoning. Return all the chicken to the pan and simmer for 5 minutes. Remove chicken to platter. Add remaining 2 tablespoons butter to sauce and whisk vigorously. Pour sauce over chicken and garnish with parsley. 

Recipe adapted from HERE

 

Capers are the salted and pickled caper bud of caper bush, also called Flinders rose. It is a common ingredient in  Mediterranean cuisines. It is also a distinctive ingredient in Italian cuisine especially in Sicilian and Southern Italian cooking. It is used in salads, pasta sauces, meat dishes, such as Chicken Piccata, the recipe featured above. READ MORE ABOUT CAPERS

Chicken Piccata is a delicious dish.

#122 Baked Buffalo Wings

This is a good recipe, easy and quick to make. I loved the firm, well-seasoned crunchy skin of the baked buffalo chicken wings. It is so spicy good. I made the dip using Greek yogurt, minced garlic and chopped fresh parsley.

BAKED BUFFALO WINGS


Ingredients:

3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
20 chicken wings
1/2 cup melted butter
1/2 cup hot pepper sauce

Directions:

1. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil, and lightly grease with cooking spray. Place the flour, cayenne pepper, garlic powder, and salt into a resealable plastic bag, and shake to mix. Add the chicken wings, seal, and toss until well coated with the flour mixture. Place the wings onto the prepared baking sheet, and place into the refrigerator. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.
2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 degrees C).
3. Whisk together the melted butter and hot sauce in a small bowl. Dip the wings into the butter mixture, and place back on the baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven until the chicken is no longer pink in the center, and crispy on the outside, about 45 minutes. Turn the wings over halfway during cooking so they cook evenly.

Recipe adapted from HERE

Buffalo wings were created in Buffalo, New York. The residents of Buffalo generally refer to them as "wings" or "chicken wings" rather than "Buffalo wings," but never "hot wings."  There are five different stories about Buffalo wings' history. All remains unsubstantiated. Teressa and Frank Bellissimo claimed they made the first Buffalo Wings in Anchor Bay at this bar that they owned. The Bellissimos said that they was a mis-delivery of wings instead of necks and backs for their spaghetti sauce, so they made use of the chicken wings surplus that they had. Teressa then made the chicken wings to her patrons during a harsh snow storm in Buffalo and her son's college friends upon a late night arrival. A man named John Young claims credit for serving breaded chicken wings in a special "mambo sauce" a specialty at this restaurant during the 1960', which he registered as John Young's Wings 'n Things. READ MORE FROM OUR SOURCE

Thanks to whoever first made it. It's delicious!

#120 Fried Chicken

A couple of weekends ago, we were invited to have dinner at the McKays and what a  delicious fried chicken they served us! We asked them how they made it so crispy and delicious, and John happily told us their secret. He said, he marinated the chicken in buttermilk overnight, then season with garlic salt and pepper.. then I imagined the rest.. coat with flour, then egg, then drench in bread crumbs before frying using vegetable oil in medium heat. So this week, I made fried chicken, it's been a while since I made it.  I also made my bread crumbs using left over breads that we baked and then we processed it using a ninja blender (yes Ninja is the brand name), you can also use a grater to make it. Since I did not have buttermilk, I learned that you can make your own by adding a tablespoon of lemon per cup of milk. So that's what I used to marinate the chicken overnight. The result was great! What I learned: never cook it in high heat to hasten the cooking process, patience is the key to a crispy, well seasoned and golden fried chicken.

FRIED CHICKEN

Ingredients:

chicken thighs and legs

buttermilk

flour for drenching

2 eggs, mixed 

breadcrumbs to coat

garlic salt 

pepper

Directions:

1. Marinate chicken in buttermilk with garlic salt overnight
2. Combine flour and pepper, drench chicken until covered.
3. Dip the chicken in egg, then drench with breadcrumbs.
4. Repeat process with all remaining chicken.
5. Deep fry in vegetable oil.

 

bread + blender/food Processor = DIY  breadcrumbs

Fried chicken is thought to have originated in Europe.

 Read more on the history of Fried Chicken HERE

#116 Gizzard Yakitori

Although I know which part of the chicken it's gizzard is located, I prefer not to write about it right now; I suggest that you do not find out yet until you have tried this dish. :) What I can  tell you right now is this: Chicken Gizzard is chicken meat that tastes very interesting and very different from the thigh, or breast meat. Chewy yet very good. It is also always sold at a good price. For under $5, and even less than your favorite Starbucks drink, you can feed this delicious appetizer to six people. One of the few good meals for that price! I got a pack of 1.38 lbs for $2.29. Inexpensive, don't you think? :) Chicken gizzards bring good memories of life back in the Philippines, where it is mostly grilled and enjoyed by, I would guess 99% of the population. Since I really do not know what those roadside barbecue stands (where we usually bought it) from back home use in their sauce, I simply googled chicken gizzard recipes and learned that the Japanese also consume it, and call it "zuri" or "suganimo". Yakitori, Japanese for grilled chicken or skewered food in general usually use either salt for seasoning or tare sauce, a simple marinade consisting of sake, mirin, soysauce and ginger, before the meat is cooked in skewers on a hot grill; alternatively, you can use your oven, and add chicken thighs, livers or hearts for this recipe.

Yield: Serves 6

GIZZARD YAKITORI, in Tare Sauce

Ingredients:

1 pound chicken gizzards (or boneless thigh meat, livers and hearts)
1/2 cup dark soy sauce or tamari
1/4 cup mirin
2 tablespoons sake or dry sherry
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 garlic cloves, peeled and smashed
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Scallions, thinly sliced, for garnish.

Directions:

1. Cut chicken into one-inch pieces and place in a shallow dish.
2. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce or tamari, mirin, sake or sherry, brown sugar, garlic and ginger. Bring to a simmer and cook for 7 minutes, until thickened. Reserve 2 tablespoons sauce for serving. Pour remaining sauce over chicken, cover, and chill for at least one hour (and up to 4 hours).
3. If using wooden or bamboo skewers, soak them in water for one hour. Preheat grill or broiler. Thread chicken pieces onto skewers, and grill or broil, turning halfway, for about 3 minutes for livers, 10 minutes for gizzards and 6 minutes for thighs. Serve drizzled with reserved sauce and garnished with scallions.

Recipe adapted from here

 

 

 I brushed fresh chili paste to add some heat. Really good!