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Cook the Book: Minty, Boozy Chicken
As Eric Gower says in his book The Breakaway Cook, "this is like pouring a cooked mojito over stewed chicken." The drink's signature ingredients of rum, lime, and mint—along with garlic and other flavorings—mix well with the juice from the chicken. Part of the mojito-like mixture serves first as a marinade for the chicken, while part of it roasts with the meat in the oven, becoming a zesty coating. Serve the finished chicken over rice, along with some lime wedges to squeeze over the plated dish.
Cook the Book: Minty, Boozy Chicken
About This Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 1 medium onion, finely minced
- 5 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
- Pinch of ground cumin
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 1 cup chopped fresh mmt
- 1 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- Zest and juice of 1 orange
- Zest and juice of 2 limes, plus 1 lime for serving
- 3 tablespoons dark rum
- Olive oil spray
- 1 large onion, sliced into wheels
- 8 or so organic chicken pieces
Procedures
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1
Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter with 1 tablespoon of the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add the minced onion, garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper; reduce the heat to low, and sauté about 10 minutes, until the onion softens. Transfer mixture to a blender; add the mint and cilantro, zests, juices, and rum; and purée. Reserve 1/2 cup of the purée; use the rest to marinate the chicken for a few hours in the refrigerator.
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2
Preheat oven to 400°F. Melt the remaining butter with the remaining oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces, working in batches if necessary, and brown both sides, about 10 minutes.
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3
When nicely browned, transfer chicken pieces with tongs to a plate. In the same skillet, cook the sliced onion gently for a few minutes, until slightly softened. Return chicken to skillet, skin side down, salt and pepper liberally, and pour marinade over. Transfer skillet to oven; bake 30 minutes.
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4
Using tongs, flip each piece over, return to oven, bake 30 minutes more, or until chicken—especially thighs, if you're using them—is fully cooked. Remove chicken; transfer to a serving platter. Pour reserved 1/2 cup purée into pan and mix it with a spatula. Pour this sauce over chicken. Serve with lime wedges and a small bowl of salt to pass around.
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