Next Level Bbq Chicken Recipes

NEXT LEVEL BBQ CHICKEN

Steps:

• To prepare the meat, tip all the ingredients, except for the chicken and ketchup, into a blender or mini processor. Add a pinch of salt and blitz to a rough paste. Tip two-thirds of the paste into a large bowl with the chicken, and massage the marinade into the meat. Cover and leave for at least 1 hr at room temperature, or up to 48 hrs in the fridge.
• Meanwhile, make the barbecue sauce. Tip the remaining paste into a small saucepan and bring to a simmer. Cook for 5 mins until it thickens and becomes darker, then add the ketchup and cook for 5 mins until sticky. Tip into a container and set aside.
• Light the barbecue, ensuring the coals are piled up at one end and leaving only a couple of coals on the other side. Lay the chicken on the emptier side. If you're making the smoke mix, carefully scatter all of the ingredients directly onto the piled-up coals. Cover the barbecue (with the vents open) and cook the chicken for 20 mins. Remove the lid and turn the chicken, then cover again and cook for a further 20 mins.
• Remove the lid and move the chicken across the grill so it's above the piled-up coals, then baste with some of the barbecue sauce, keeping enough aside, in a separate container, to serve later. Cook for 10 mins, adding a few more coals if you need to and turning often, until nicely charred and cooked through - a digital thermometer inserted through the thickest part of the meat should read at least 65C.
• Put the lime halves on the grill, over the coals, cut-side down for 3-4 mins until charred. Serve the chicken with the lime for squeezing over and reserved barbecue sauce for dipping.

SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN

Steps:

• Mix the chicken with the soy sauce, rice wine, ginger, garlic and a pinch of salt in a large bowl. Put in the fridge and leave to marinate for at least 1 hr or ideally overnight. Meanwhile, make the sauce. Tip the rice wine, vinegar and sugar into a saucepan with a pinch of salt and bring to the boil. Stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the garlic and ketchup. Continue to cook for 10 mins until syrupy, then remove from the heat and set aside. To prepare the toppings, put the coriander and spring onion in a bowl of iced water to perk them up. Toast the peppercorns in a dry frying pan, if using, then crush using a pestle and mortar. Mix with 1 tbsp sea salt and set aside.
• Mix the beaten egg into the chicken mix, then stir in the cornflour and five-spice powder until the chicken is coated. Set aside. Pour the oil into a wok until it's no more than a third full and heat to 170C, or heat a deep-fat fryer to the same temperature. If you don't have a thermometer, drop a bit of the batter into the oil; when the batter sizzles and turns golden within 1 min, it's ready. Fry the chicken in batches for 4-5 mins until golden and crisp, then drain on kitchen paper and keep warm in a low oven.
• Meanwhile, gently reheat the sauce and add the soy sauce, stock pot or cube, vegetables, pineapple and ginger. Simmer for 3 mins until the veg is slightly softened. Mix the chicken with the sauce and serve with the coriander and spring onions, salt and pepper mix and some rice on the side.

NEXT LEVEL FRIED CHICKEN

Steps:

• To make the spice mix, combine all the ingredients. Whisk the milk with the vinegar, egg, ½ tsp salt and 1 tbsp spice mix in a bowl or deep plastic container to make the buttermilk marinade. Open the chicken thighs and put between two pieces of baking parchment, then flatten using a rolling pin. Transfer to the marinade, then cover and chill for 4 hrs, or overnight.
• Make the coating by combining the flours and turmeric with most of the remaining spice mix (reserving 1 tsp) and a generous pinch of salt. Drain the chicken thighs, reserving the marinade. One by one, dredge each thigh in the flour, then dip in the reserved marinade, then dredge again in the flour, pressing on as much as you can to coat. Transfer the coated thighs to a large plate.
• Heat a 10cm depth of oil in a shallow saucepan or deep-fat fryer until it reaches 175C. Lower two or three of the thighs in at a time and fry undisturbed for 3 mins, making sure the temperature doesn't drop below 160C (it should stay at about 170C). Flip the thighs, then fry for another 2-3 mins until deeply golden and crisp on both sides. Lift the chicken out and transfer to a tray lined with kitchen paper to drain, then put on a rack and keep warm in a low oven while you fry the remaining thighs.
• When all the chicken has been fried, combine the reserved spice mix with 1 tbsp flaky sea salt and sprinkle over the chicken to serve.