Honey Yuzu Kosho Grilled Chicken
+ fluffy coconut rice to set you up for grilling season
Hello hello! What a strange week it has been. Each day I kept thinking it was the day previously and that I had more time to get my deadlines done, that’s what a quality long holiday will do to you, I guess!
I hope you all had a lovely Memorial Day weekend full of good food, rest, catching up on life, and adventures. Ours was a good blend of all those things, leaning heavy on the food and rest with a good house deep clean and kayaking adventure squeezed in. I know summer solstice is the start of summer but mentally, summer has already begun after this weekend. Mostly because we’ve finally set up the hibachi grill and got it cleaned up and ready to rip for months of outdoor meals. We have had this grill for 2 years now and I couldn’t love it more. It’s small, compact, and portable. I love how it can sit on your tabletop for an interactive meal or kbbq at home situation. I’m officially a charcoal grill enthusiast, the flavor and char texture is unmatched. Despite the hibachi being small it gets quite hot and keeps its heat for a while so you can cook a good amount of food on it. Small but mighty!
I tested a few grilling recipes and they were all so good, but I made the very hard decision of picking one to share first: Honey Yuzu Kosho Chicken Thighs! This was one of the easiest recipes that delivered on a deep punch of flavor. Yuzu Co. sent me a bunch of their products the other week and I have been obsessed with their yuzu kosho. It is a Japanese fermented chili and citrus peel paste, it’s a little spicy but mostly bright and citrusy. You can also get yuzu kosho at Trader Joe’s (at least I was able to last year) or at a your local Japanese or Asian market too.
I mixed the yuzu kosho with honey and coconut milk (from a can, the rest of the coconut milk can be used to make coconut rice) to introduce some sweetness and I added a little more salt to make sure everything was properly seasoned. Yuzu kosho does have salt in it and different brands will have varying salt levels, so just keep that in mind. The chicken gets more and more flavor the longer it marinates. After a few hours it is plenty tasty but after a day or two the flavors are so deep and beautiful. Don’t worry if you don’t have a grill, these thigh will cook up just fine in a pan or cast iron!
I have many more grilling (and some smoked!) recipes in the queue to share over the next few weeks, so I hope you’re excited for them too!
Grilling isn’t complicated but I try to follow these two basic rules:
Make sure the grill grates are properly heated. Just like any other pan, you have to give it time to warm up, otherwise your food will stick and cook unevenly. Give the grates at least 15 minutes to warm up if you’re in a rush, 20 to 30 if you have time and enough coals. When I’m at other people’s homes I try to not intervene when they cook but I was at a BBQ and saw someone turn on the (gas) grill and not even 2 seconds later place meat on the grates and I had to say something!
Know your hot and warm zones. Even on our little hibachi grill there are hotter areas and cooler areas that we can use to our advantage while we cook. Hot zones are great for getting the hard sear and deep char marks, but if you have thicker pieces of meat that you want to cook more thoroughly but not totally burn, place them over the cooler zones to cook more gently.
Happy grilling!
Honey Yuzu Kosho Chicken Thighs
Serves 4
42g (2 tbsp) honey
50g (2 tbsp) yuzu kosho
1 tsp coarse salt
120g (1/2 cup) full-fat coconut milk, from a can
680g (1 1/2lb) boneless and skinless chicken thighs
Neutral oil, for grilling
In a large bowl, whisk to combine honey, yuzu kosho, salt, and coconut milk. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Cover the bowl and chill in the fridge for at least 4 hours and up to 2 nights in the fridge.
About 45 minutes before grilling, transfer the chicken to a plate or small rimmed baking sheet, making sure to shake off any excess marinade.
If grilling, prepare the grill with hot coals and allow the grill grates to properly warm up for at least 15 minutes. Brush the grates with some neutral oil to prevent the chicken from sticking. Place the chicken thighs over the hotter portion of the grill and cook until the underside is deeply golden with char marks, about 4 minutes. Flip and cook the other side until golden with char marks, about 4 minutes. Timing really varies depending on your grill. If you have thicker pieces of chicken you can place them over a slightly cooler portion of your grill to allow it to cook all the way through.
If cooking in a pan, heat 2 tablespoons of oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and sear until the underside is deeply golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Flip and sear the other side until deeply golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes.
Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken and serve!
Coconut Rice
serves 4 to 6
2 cups jasmine rice
1 1/2 cups full fat coconut milk, from a can
1 1/2 cups water
2 tsp sugar
pinch of salt
Place the rice in a saucepan and rinse the rice twice, until the water somewhat clear. Drain the water and add coconut milk, fresh water, sugar, and salt. Give it a quick mix.
Head the rice over medium heat until it starts to simmer. Reduce the heat to low to maintain a very gentle simmer and cover with a lid. Allow the rice to steam for 15 minutes and then turn off the heat and allow the rice to sit for 5 to 10 minutes with the lid still on. Fluff the rice and serve.
This was amazing!!! Thank you!!
What a spectacular outdoor/Garden feast, and that Chicken sounds/looks out of this world! Yum