Tequila Lime Chicken Skewers

Here it is folks! As requested the recipe for those tasty party treats I served at Lesli's Birthday party. There was such a great response from everyone about how tasty they were that I decided to bump it to the front of the blog line up. I got the body of the recipe from the "Taste" magazine the liquor store puts out in BC. I recommend picking up a copy quarterly for some tasty ideas.

Ingredients:

1 lime zest
1/2 cup lime juice
3/4 cup pulpless orange juice
1/4 cup gold tequila ( I used Cazadores Anejo tequila)
1 Tbsp clover honey
1 jalapeno, seeded and finely chopped
5 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup roughly chopped cilantro leaves, plus extra for garnish (important)
2 Tbsp kosher salt (I like Maldon salt)
1 Tbsp smoked chili powder (I used a pinch of smoked paprika and chill powder)
2 Tsp ground black pepper
1.5 pounds chicken breast, cut into 1" chunks
1 red onion

Directions:

1. Combine all ingredients except onion and chicken in a mixing bowl- whisk until the salt dissolves and everything is well mixed.

Add chicken and stir to coat in marinade, cover and refrigerate for 4 hours. Or put in ziplock bags and massage the chicken to coat. If you don't use all the marinade save it in the mixing bowl. (I let them soak in ziplock bags for closer to 7 hours, the chicken started to cook a little because of the lime but it was super tasty!

2. Meanwhile soak 12 wooden skewers in water. Unless you want them to burst into flame! For a large chicken breast you will need about 4 skewers with 5-6 pieces on each one.

3. When ready to cook the chicken preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Remove chicken and save marinade. Place the marinade (that had the chicken in it) in a small sauce pan and boil for 1 minute over medium-high heat. We'll use this when cooking the chicken.

4. Thread chicken onto skewers alternating with a few pieces of red onion.

5. Season the grill with a spray bottle of oil. Alternatively you can pour some oil on a paper towel and lightly smear it on the grill. If you have a 3 burner BBQ just leave the flame on the two outside burners and place a 5-6" folded tinfoil over the middle burner. We will be laying the wooden skewers onto the tinfoil to further protect them from burning.

6. Grill the chicken. Brushing with reserved marinade frequently and turning often until cooked through; about 8-10 minutes.

7. Place on a platter (that your wife made in pottery, or go to PotteryLove.com to get some of my wife's pottery) and garnish with additional cilantro.

This was easy and fun to make. I skipped the red onion and used 3 pieces of chicken on shorter skewers to make them finger-food-friendly for a party. Everyone will take a small portion, but 5-6 pieces is too intimidating a commitment at a cocktail party. For dinner I would use 5-6 pieces with side dishes on a plate.

I tripled the recipe with 4.5 pounds of chicken and had an extra cup of marinade I kept "clean" for basting the skewers with on the BBQ. It made about 50 skewers and loads of happy party goers!

We had tequila lime chicken skewers again and paired it with the fennel and orange salad (coming to the blog soon) and what a great fresh summer dinner. Give it a shot you will be pleased!

Cedar Plank Salmon

Living on the West Coast it seems everyone has got a cedar plank salmon recipe. Well so do I! I go for the simple things that showcase the flavours. Well, also because I don't want to spend ALL day in the kitchen prepping food. I feel that the key thing with smoking is to enhance the taste. I have had experiences were I feel like I am eating a piece of dry wood and that just isn't what I'm ever after. Along that vein--the new chardonnay's are being made with way less oak and they are fantastic! It's worth trying them again if you gave up on them. I had the opportunity to purchase some "White Spring Salmon" to use with this preparation and I HIGHLY recommend you try it if you get a chance. It is fairly rare I understand. The taste is not as overpowering as some salmon can be and works beautifully with the cedar.

Ingredients:

2 12-14 x 5-6 inch cedar planks
1/3 cup olive oil (or vegetable oil)
1 11/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup chopped green onions
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger root
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2+ pounds of salmon (I had 4 pieces about 2.5 pounds, 2 on each plank)

Directions:

1.  You will need to soak the cedar planks for an hour minimum in warm water. Longer is better if you have the time. If you soak them in your sink remember to clean it first.

2.  Combine all ingredients (olive oil, rive vinegar, sesame oil, soy sauce, green onions, ginger) in a shallow dish. Put the salmon into the marinade and coat. Let sit for at least 15 minutes but an hour is better. Turn fish half way through time to make sure they are coated.

3.  Time to get the grill going. Preheat your BBQ for medium heat.

4.  When the grill is up to temperature, about 400, place the cedar planks on the grate. When they start to smoke and crackle a little they are ready.

5.  Now place the salmon skin side down on the planks. Discard the marinade because now we can't use it. Close the lid to contain the smoke. Depending on the thickness of the fish and temperature you keep your grill at (a fire flare up will spike the temperature) it will take 15-20 minutes to cook. Please don't overcook! It is ready when it can be flaked with a fork. Remember it will keep cooking even after you remove it from the grill.

NOTE: it the plank catches fire use a water spray bottle to put out the flames.

6.  Plate the fish. The skin will most likely stick to the plank so don't worry about that.

The thin portion of the salmon had the texture of a soufflé and we all marveled at it. The smoking combined with the marinade sealed the juices in waiting for your fork to release the flavour. The meatier portion was flaky and tender. There was a light smoked taste, but it was subtle.

I've since made it again with farmed salmon that was nice and fatty and it was just as tasty.