Lemonade Chicken

We are having foodie friends over for dinner after more than a year apart, and I was wanting a little sumpin’ sumpin’ different.

I mean, my Barbecued Corned Beef is always a hit, as is Coq au Riesling, but, I have already served those to most of these folk, so, I was looking at options and then…

the nice folk at Food Network went ahead and emailed me this kinda nifty, and definitely different recipe for chicken marinated in lemonade.

Of course, I had to try it, but made a few small changes. The food network folk called for using chicken leg quarters, but for my test run, I opted for thighs. I also cut back on some ingredients and added a few of my own, just because.

And…

we loved it!

Most certainly on the menu next month.

INGREDIENTS
•4 chicken thighs
•2 cups lemonade
•2 cloves garlic, minced
•2 tbsp Dijon mustard
•1 tbsp Sherry Peppers Sauce*
•1 tsp Cajun Power Spicy Garlic Pepper Sauce – or your fave hot sauce, to taste
•1 tsp dried oregano
•2 tsp dried onion
•1/4 tsp cumin
•1/4 tsp Seasoned salt
•1/4 tsp black pepper
•1/4 tsp Aleppo pepper

*No Sherry Peppers Sauce? No Problem! Simply add a bit of decent sherry (none of that “cooking” stuff) and a dash or three of your fave hot sauce, to taste.

Put your chicken thighs in a gallon sized zipper bag, then whisk the remaining ingredients together and pour over.

Close the bag and give it a few tosses to evenly coat the chicken, then arrange in a single layer in a rimmed container – for to catch any drippages.

Pop in the fridge for at least a few hours, or – always more better – overnight; turning the bag over whenever you think about it.

About an hour before you plan to start grilling, pull the chicken out of the fridge to come up to room temperature.

When ready to cook, heat your grill to medium and oil the grates.

Remove the chicken from the marinade and blot dry-ish with paper towels.

Place the chicken, skin side down, on the grill and cook for two minutes. Rotate the chicken, skin side still down, 90º and cook for another two minutes.

Turn the chicken over and grill for 20 to 25 minutes, until an instant ready thermometer reads 165º.

While the chicken is grilling, transfer the marinade to a small pot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for at least 20 minutes, stirring often, until it has reduced and thickened nicely.

Keep the sauce warm until the chicken is ready, then drizzle over each piece.

Bright. Lemon-y with a hint of that Dijon mustard, and imminently servable to foodie friends for dinner after a long time apart.

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