Chicken Spiedie Skewers With Italian Dressing Recipes

CHICKEN SPIEDIES (MARINATED CHICKEN ON A BUN)

Steps:

• In a blender, combine the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, garlic, mint, dill, salt, soy sauce, garlic powder, black pepper, oregano, red pepper flakes, and cardamom and puree until smooth and emulsified.
• Put the chicken in a large mixing bowl and pour the marinade over it, reserving about 1⁄2 cup marinade in a small bowl, and covering and refrigerating it. Mix the chicken well with the marinade, cover, and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or up to 24. The acidic marinade will start to break down the chicken, so if a more tender texture bothers you, marinate for 4 to 5 hours. I, however, am a fan of that texture and think an aggressively long, 24-hour marinade gives the chicken that much more flavor.
• Heat a grill until it is so hot you (almost) can't look directly at it. Skewer the chicken; you can make a giant skewer to save space or lots of little ones for easier turning. Cook the skewered chicken, turning three times, until nicely charred, 5 to 7 minutes on each of the four sides. Let the chicken rest for 10 minutes, then take it off the skewers.
• To serve on the rolls, top with whichever of the following makes you the happiest: lettuce, tomatoes, onion, reserved marinade, pepperoncini, olives. Or don't use any toppings, as it's meant to be eaten, in my book (which this literally is).

ITALIAN MARINADE

Steps:

• Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl. Add cubes of chicken, pork, lamb or beef to the marinade and cover tightly, or place into large, re-sealable plastic bags and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours (or 10 to 12 hours for chicken).

CHICKEN SPIEDIE SKEWERS WITH ITALIAN DRESSING

Steps:

• Whisk garlic, vinegar, peppers, mayonnaise, sugar, dried oregano, and 1/2 cup oil in a medium bowl; season with salt and pepper. Transfer half of dressing to a small bowl; cover and chill until ready to serve.
• Cut chicken thighs lengthwise into long strips, about 1"-1 1/2" wide (you should get 2-3 pieces per thigh). Combine chicken and remaining dressing in a large resealable plastic bag. Seal bag, pressing out any air. Turn to coat and chill at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day.
• Prepare a grill for medium-high heat; oil grate. Remove chicken from dressing; discard dressing. Thread 2 pieces of chicken onto each skewer. Season chicken lightly with salt and grill, turning occasionally, until golden brown and cooked through, 8-10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, drizzle onion with oil; season with salt. Grill until browned on both sides but still firm in center, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to a large bowl and add tomatoes and a couple splashes of reserved dressing. Toss to coat; season salad with salt and pepper. Top salad and chicken with oregano leaves.
• Serve chicken with salad, reserved dressing, and lemon wedges for squeezing over.

SPIEDIES

Steps:

• Make the marinade: Whisk together all the ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add the meat to the marinade and cover tightly, or place into large, re-sealable plastic bags and refrigerate for 24 to 36 hours (or 10 to 12 hours for chicken).
• Build a fire in your grill, leaving about 1/3 of grill free of coals, or set a gas grill to high.
• Remove the meat from its marinade and thread onto metal skewers, or wooden ones that you have soaked in water for 30 minutes or so. The chunks can be placed quite close together. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• When coals are covered with gray ash and fire is still quite high (you can hold your hand 5 inches above coals for only a couple of seconds), place the skewers of meat directly over the flames. Allow the meat to cook, undisturbed, for approximately 3 to 4 minutes, then use kitchen tongs to turn them over and repeat on the other side. Continue turning the skewers every couple of minutes until the meat is deeply crisp at its edges, and cooked entirely through, approximately another 5 to 7 minutes. (Remove them to the cool side of the grill if they begin to burn, and cover the grill to allow them to smoke-roast until finished; this is much less likely to happen on a gas grill.)
• Allow the spiedies to rest on a cutting board for a few minutes, then remove the meat from the skewers onto cut hero rolls or a plate. Serve with hot sauce on the side.

SPIEDIES MARINADE

Steps:

• Combine oil, wine, lemon juice, vinegar, salt, pepper, thyme, oregano, tarragon, red pepper flakes, and cayenne pepper in a bowl. Stir in onion and garlic. Add chicken cubes last; coat thoroughly.
• Pour mixture into a resealable freezer bag, making sure there is as little air as possible in the bag. Wrap bag in a paper towel and slide it into another resealable bag so that the zippers are at opposite ends. Refrigerate, flipping over every 12 hours, for 2 to 3 days.
• Soak wooden skewers in water. Thread the chicken cubes through the skewers, discarding marinade.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for medium-high heat and lightly oil the grate. Grill the chicken skewers, flipping halfway, until juices run clear, 8 to 10 minutes.

GRILLED CHICKEN SPIEDIES

Steps:

• Combine vinegar, olive oil, lemon juice, mint, garlic, sugar, oregano, basil, salt, red pepper flakes, and black pepper in a blender. Puree until liquefied, about 30 seconds.
• Place chicken thighs in a large resealable plastic bag, pour in marinade and massage to coat. Squeeze out excess air and seal the bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for 24 hours, turning occasionally.
• Preheat an outdoor grill for high heat and lightly oil the grate.
• Remove chicken and place on the skewers. Season with salt. Pour the marinade into a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced slightly, about 2 minutes.
• Place skewers on the preheated grill and cook for 5 to 6 minutes, turn and cook until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the juices run clear, 5 to 6 more minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the center should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove from grill and rest the meat for a few minutes.
• Toast hoagie rolls and spread each with some of the reserved marinade. Place a skewer on each roll and carefully remove the skewer, leaving the chicken in the bun.