At the time I was writing what we might call "classic" No Free Lunch, I did not marinate much. Back then, I did not plan my meals far enough in advance. Additionally, marinating is a lot harder to experiment with, as you can't make adjustments partway through. Because of this, knowledge of flavor combinations is essential to crafting a good marinade. Recently, though, I've been playing around with marinades a lot more, to some pretty tasty results. Looking at other recipes before starting is always a good idea. I like to begin by consulting the mighty Bittman, then heading to Google.
Today's recipe employs a Mediterranean-inspired marinade that is a great way to use fresh summer herbs from the garden. The marinade is by no means an exact science, and you can easily substitute other herbs or ingredients to your liking. The finished chicken is quite versatile, and can go well with pasta, potatoes, or in a sandwich. Today, I ate them with some sautéed spinach and onions.
- 8 pieces bone-in chicken (recommended: thighs)
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 lemons
- Handful fresh flat-leaf parsley and basil leaves
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp dried rosemary
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp black pepper
Instructions
Assemble the marinade in a gallon-size bag. Mince the garlic, roughly chop the fresh herbs, and squeeze out the lemons into the bag. After combining all ingredients, mix it up a bit and add the chicken pieces. You can do this either leaving the skin on or taking it off. Leaving the skin on will give you some crunch on the chicken, so I left it on this time (see grilling tips below for caveats). Marinate in refrigerator for a few hours.
Several minutes ahead of cooking, preheat the grill. Removing from the marinade, place the chicken on the top rack. Grill until cooked through, about 30 minutes, with the cover closed, turning over once.
Grilling chicken provides a unique challenge, quite different from grilling pork or beef. With red meats, the trick is essentially to char the outside before the inside gets overcooked, but with chicken, it is the opposite. Especially with skin-on chicken, a lot of grease will drip down and cause big fires in the grill that shoot up even to the top rack. This can turn your chicken an unappetizing black in a hurry.
There are a few techniques you can use to prevent this. The first thing to do is simply to check the grill frequently, monitoring both for fires and the interior temperature. I like to keep it around 350 degrees; to cool it off, just leave the top open for a short time. The best way to prevent, or at least mitigate fires is to push all the chicken over to one side and turn the gas off on that side, as shown in the photo. You can leave the grill like this for a while, and then turn the heat on under the chicken later to get some char on the outside as desired. Note also that grilling sausage, such as bratwurst, has largely the same pitfalls as chicken.
Learning to grill is all about being flexible, and requires a lot more attention and adjustment than using the oven, so you always need to be ready to move the meat around or adjust the heat. Learning the quirks of a particular grill is also important. Mine, for example, is hotter in the back-left area. Finally, remember that there's no shame in burning a few; it's all part of the process. I will admit that even today, not all of them turned out as nicely as the two in the photo!
Tips for Grilling Chicken
There are a few techniques you can use to prevent this. The first thing to do is simply to check the grill frequently, monitoring both for fires and the interior temperature. I like to keep it around 350 degrees; to cool it off, just leave the top open for a short time. The best way to prevent, or at least mitigate fires is to push all the chicken over to one side and turn the gas off on that side, as shown in the photo. You can leave the grill like this for a while, and then turn the heat on under the chicken later to get some char on the outside as desired. Note also that grilling sausage, such as bratwurst, has largely the same pitfalls as chicken.
Learning to grill is all about being flexible, and requires a lot more attention and adjustment than using the oven, so you always need to be ready to move the meat around or adjust the heat. Learning the quirks of a particular grill is also important. Mine, for example, is hotter in the back-left area. Finally, remember that there's no shame in burning a few; it's all part of the process. I will admit that even today, not all of them turned out as nicely as the two in the photo!
Nice. It isn't the easiest grill thighs as it takes longer. The urge to rush means burnt on the outside and not cooked through inside. The caramelizing looks good.
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