ASIAN GRILLED CHICKEN OVER GREENS

When I was living and working in Asia, I had a tiny little kitchen in my flat. No oven, just a three-burner cooktop, a microwave, and a half-refrigerator. But I managed to cook up some feasts with all of the exotic ingredients I would find at the markets. This was one of my favorite go-to dishes that had all my burners cooking at once.

INGREDIENTS

½ cup tamari

½ cup brown sugar

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon lemon juice

2 tablespoons orange juice

1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce

1 teaspoon chile-garlic sauce

4 cloves garlic, minced

¼ teaspoon of cumin

½ teaspoon of five-spice

6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs

FOR GREENS

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon sesame oil

2 cloves garlic minced

2 bunches Chinese spinach

1 red pepper, diced

¼ head of purple cabbage, chopped

PREPARATION

Place tamari, brown sugar, lime juice, lemon juice, orange juice, sweet chili sauce, chile-garlic sauce, garlic, cumin, and five-spice into a bowl and whisk together until sugar and spices are dissolved. Transfer to a large ziplock bag.

Place the chicken pieces into the ziplock and marinate overnight.

Remove the chicken thighs from the fridge 45 minutes before you’re ready to cook them.

Preheat your grill pan on medium-high heat and lightly oil the grates.

Remove chicken pieces from ziplock and place on the grill pan for 7-10 minutes per side, or until chicken registers 165° F at the thickest part when tested with an instant read thermometer.

Pour the excess marinade into a saucepan. Bring the sauce to a boil for ninety seconds, then lower the heat and simmer for three more minutes. Use the marinade to baste the chicken every five minutes.

Prepare the greens. In a skillet or wok, heat the olive oil until just before smoking. Add the sesame oil and garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Add the greens, purple cabbage, and red pepper. Continue to stir-fry for about three minutes or until spinach is limp.

To plate: Place the stir-fried vegetables on the bottom of the plate, then place chicken thighs on top of the greens. Pour remaining marinade over chicken.