Piri Piri Chicken with Slaw

This chicken was so yummy and super easy to put together.  What a great dish to serve for a big crowd.  This will definitely become part of my summer grilling  repertoire!
As Always, ENJOY!

Piri Piri Chicken with Slaw

Recipe adapted from "Good Food, Good Life," by Curtis Stone

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 20 minutes, plus marinating time
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes, plus marinating time

• INGREDIENTS
For the Piri Piri Chicken:
6 red Fresno chiles, roughly chopped
4 red Thai chiles, stemmed
5 garlic cloves
¼ cup red wine vinegar
2½ teaspoons kosher salt
⅔ cup olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon for grilling
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1½-inch chunks
Bamboo skewers, soaked in water for at least 1 hour, or metal skewers
For the Cabbage and Cucumber Slaw:
¼ small head green cabbage, very thinly sliced (about 2½ cups)
¼ English cucumber, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced on an angle (about ¾ cup)
¼ white onion, very thinly sliced (about ¼ cup)
¼ cup loosely packed fresh mint leaves, thinly sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1 tablespoon finely grated lime zest
Kosher salt, to taste
Grilled flatbreads

DIRECTIONS

1. Make the piri piri chicken: In a food processor, combine the chiles, garlic, vinegar and salt. Pulse until finely minced. With the machine running, add ⅔ cup of olive oil and pulse until smooth. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, toss the chicken with ⅔ cup of the piri piri mixture to coat. Cover and chill for at least 30 minutes or preferably overnight. Cover and chill the remaining piri piri sauce.

3. Prepare a grill for medium-hot heat or place a grill pan over medium-high heat. Thread 4 to 5 pieces of chicken onto each skewer.

4. Using a pastry brush, coat the grill with the remaining tablespoon of oil.

5. Grill the chicken, turning and basting often with the remaining ⅓ cup of sauce, until the chicken is cooked through and charred in spots, 12 to 15 minutes.

6. Meanwhile, make the cabbage and cucumber slaw: In a large mixing bowl, toss the cabbage, cucumber, onion, mint, olive oil, lime juice and zest. Season with salt.

7. To serve, divide the chicken skewers, slaw and flatbreads among 4 plates. Serve the remaining piri piri sauce alongside for dipping.

Rosemary Sea Salt Shortbread

These shortbread are so delicious and the flavors a bit unexpected for a shortbread cookie.  The savory, buttery, saltiness is perfect to serve them as an appetizer with cheese and a great glass of wine!  They are easily made ahead, so perfect, for a party.

Rosemary Sea Salt Shortbread Cookies

from Chrissy Carter

1 stick of unsalted, softened butter
1/4 cup of sugar
1/2 teaspoon of finely chopped fresh rosemary
pinch of sea salt for the dough, plus extra for sprinkling
1 cup of flour

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.

Combine the butter, sugar, rosemary, and pinch of salt. Slowly add the flour, mixing thoroughly with each addition. Take your time combining the flour so it forms into a nice buttery dough. Form the dough into a ball and wrap loosely with plastic wrap. Shape the ball into a log and roll it with your palms until it’s relatively even in circumference. Pop the dough into the freezer for 15-20 minutes so that it hardens enough to slice into 1/4 inch rounds. Place the rounds on a sheet pan and sprinkle each cookie with a healthy amount of course sea salt (I use Maldon sea salt).

Bake for 20 minutes or until light golden brown.

I find in my oven that baking 12-15 minutes brings them to the perfect golden color, so check on them at that point so you don't end up with burned cookies. 

As summer approaches, I plan on making these cookies again to sandwich with ice cream, I think strawberry might compliment the rosemary perfectly.  Try your favorite flavor!

As Always, ENJOY! 

Shallot Confit

An amazing addition to your pantry! Once cooked the shallots must be stored in a jar in the refrigerator. But oh!, the wonderful things you can do!
Add them to dressings, or marinades, or smear them on to meat hot off the grill.  Let your imagination create lots of fun uses for these delicious little treats.

As Always, ENJOY!

Shallot Confit

Recipe adapted from Eric and Bruce Bromberg, Blue Ribbon Restaurants, New York, NY

Yield: 3 cups

Prep Time: 10 minutes 
Cook Time: 2 hours
Total Time: 2 hours and 10 minutes

• INGREDIENTS
1 pound (about 12 to 14 small) shallots, peeled
1½ to 2 cups extra-virgin olive oil
3 thyme sprigs (optional)

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the oven to 325°.

2. In a small ovenproof dish, pack the shallots tightly in one even row. Pour in enough oil to submerge the shallots, then cover the dish with foil. Bake until the shallots are a light golden color and very soft, 1½ to 2 hours. Let them cool to room temperature. Serve warm or at room temperature. Make ahead: The shallots will last up to 3 weeks in an airtight container in the refrigerator.