For us, the warmer months of eating revolve around the grill, where our current go-to protein is North African grilled chicken. Inspired by the flavors of the famous North African spice mix known as Ras Al-Hanout (or “best of the shop”), our marinade uses a blend of warming spices, cinnamon, black pepper, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg and cloves balanced with punchy lemon. This fragrant combination is intoxicating. North African grilled chicken is a crowd pleaser on its own and an excellent light addition to sandwiches, salads or tacos.
Yield: serves about 6
Ingredients:
- 5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- juice of 2 lemons (approximately 4 tablespoons)
- 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
Steps:
- In a small bowl, whisk together the marinade ingredients (olive oil, salt, lemon juice, cinnamon, pepper, turmeric, cumin, nutmeg and cloves) until well combined.
- Combine the chicken and marinade in a zip-top bag, and shake well to evenly coat all pieces. Allow the chicken to marinate in the refrigerator for 2-4 hours (as long as overnight) before grilling.
- Preheat your grill on high for 10-15 minutes. Clean the grates thoroughly and wipe with a lightly oiled rag just prior to grilling to reduce sticking.
- Grill on medium heat, covered, for about 7-10 minutes per side. You are looking for nice browning and the chicken to just cook through in the middle. Your cook time will vary depending on the thickness of the pieces and the starting temperature of your meat. As you finish cooking, test a piece by cutting through the thickest part (you should not see any pink).
- For moist meat, allow the grilled chicken to rest for 5 minutes, covered, before serving.
The Hungry Hounds is the food blog of Paul and Rebecca Shetler Fast, who serve with Mennonite Central Committee in Haiti. Learn more about MCC Haiti at their blog, www.haitimcc.org.
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