Rum Marinated Chicken Breasts With Pineapple Relish Recipes

PINEAPPLE-RUM BRUSHED BASKET CHICKEN

Steps:

• For the pineapple-rum glaze: Roughly chop the pineapple. Transfer to a food processor and pulse until smooth. Pass the pineapple puree through a fine-mesh sieve into a large skillet (use a rubber spatula to help push the puree through). Discard the pulp. If using the pineapple juice, just pour into a large skillet.
• Add the rum, vinegar, red pepper flakes and a pinch of seasoning salt to the skillet and bring the mixture to a simmer over medium-high heat. Simmer, whisking, until the mixture is bubbly and reduced to about two-thirds its original volume, about 5 minutes. Reserve 1/4 cup of the glaze in a small bowl.
• For the chicken: Use kitchen shears to cut out the backbone from the chicken. Flip the chicken, breast-side up, and push down firmly on the breastbone to flatten it. Cut the wings off at the third joint (at the wing tip). Line a plate with paper towels and put the chicken on it skin-side down to dry the skin. Season the chicken all over with 1 tablespoon seasoning salt.
• Prepare a grill for medium direct-heat cooking.
• Put the chicken in a grill basket with a handle and lock the basket. Put the chicken on the grill breast-side up. Make sure the handle of the basket isn't resting on the grill grates, then close the grill. Grill the chicken, undisturbed, until the skin starts to brown, 30 to 40 minutes. Adjust the grill heat to medium low and brush the skin side with some of the glaze. Wrap a towel around the basket handle or use an oven mitt and flip the chicken over. Baste the back side of the chicken and close the grill. Continue to grill the chicken, basting, flipping and closing the grill every 4 to 5 minutes, until the deepest part of the thigh registers 165 degrees F, 10 to 20 minutes more.
• During the last 5 minutes of grilling, toss the scallions with the vegetable oil and a large pinch of seasoning salt and grill, turning as needed, until charred and tender, about 5 minutes. Chop the scallions, transfer to a bowl and add the olive oil, lemon juice and a pinch of seasoning salt. Mix well.
• Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and serve with the grilled scallion relish and the reserved glaze.

RUM AND CHILE ROASTED CHICKEN THIGHS WITH PINEAPPLE

Steps:

• In a blender or food processor, combine lemon juice and salt, and blend for 5 seconds to dissolve salt. Add scallions, garlic, oil, rum, thyme, brown sugar, chili pepper and spices, and blend until mixture forms a paste.
• Rub chili paste all over chicken pieces. If you have time, let marinate for up to 45 minutes at room temperature, or up to 24 hours in refrigerator.
• Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Put chicken in a large baking pan and scatter pineapple around it in one layer. Roast until chicken is cooked through (juices will run clear when pricked with a fork), about 25 minutes.
• Broil chicken and pineapple until chicken skin is crisp and dark brown all over and pineapple is singed in places.
• Serve chicken and pineapple coated with pan drippings, with lemon wedges.

ISLAND BIRD: PINEAPPLE-RUM CHICKEN

Steps:

• Cook the rice according to the package directions. While it cooks, make the chicken and sauce.
• Cut the pineapple into bite-size chunks. Heat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the vegetable oil, once around the pan. Add the onions, garlic, salt, and crushed red pepper flakes and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the pineapple chunks and the juice from the container, no more than 1/2 cup, and stir to combine. Remove the pan from the heat and add the spiced rum. Return the pan to the heat, keeping a little distance in case the pot flames up. You can flame it on purpose, if you want to look cool. Either way, let the alcohol cook away, 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a simmer, then cook until it reduces by half and has thickened slightly.
• While the sauce is simmering, preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes on each side. For a smoky taste, grill the chicken on a grill pan or on an outdoor grill.
• Slice the breasts and return to the large skillet. Pour in the pineapple and sauce and combine with a good shake of the pan. Add the parsley and cilantro to the pan and turn off the heat. Let stand for a minute or two. Serve up the jasmine rice and top with liberal ladles of the Island Bird.
• You can often find whole pineapples already peeled and cored in pouches or tall plastic containers. Check the fresh produce section.

PINEAPPLE-MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS

Steps:

• In a large bowl, stir together the brown sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, fish sauce, 2 tablespoons olive oil, salt, garlic powder, ground cayenne and black pepper. Transfer 1 tablespoon of this marinade mixture to a separate medium bowl and add the diced pineapple, red onion and cilantro. This is your salsa; toss until well mixed and set aside.
• Add the grated pineapple and its juices to the marinade mixture in the large bowl, then add the chicken and toss to coat. Set aside to marinate at room temperature for 15 minutes (and no longer).
• Once the chicken is done marinating, heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high and add enough olive oil to lightly coat the bottom of the pan. Add the chicken pieces, leaving any marinade behind, in a single layer so that they don't touch and let cook until the bottoms are browned, 2 to 3 minutes. Continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until browned on all sides and no longer pink on the inside, 4 to 5 minutes more.
• Serve the chicken over rice and top with the reserved pineapple salsa.

MARINATED CHICKEN BREASTS WITH GRILLED PINEAPPLE RELISH

Steps:

• To make the marinade: Slice the pineapple crosswise into 1-inch-thick rounds. Using a paring knife, remove the core from each round (this can be done roughly, since the core is edible). Chop half the pineapple coarsely; set aside the remaining half for the relish. Add the chopped pineapple to a blender, together with the jalapeño, onion, vinegar, garlic, and salt and blend until smooth. Transfer the marinade to a bowl, add the chicken breasts, and refrigerate, covered, for at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.
• Wipe the grill grates with oil to prevent sticking. Build a two-zone fire. Your high-heat zone should have embers 1 to 2 inches from the cooking surface, with occasional flames licking it. To create your medium-heat zone, nudge the embers 2 to 3 inches lower than that.
• To make the relish: Toss the remaining pineapple in oil, honey, and salt to coat. Grill over medium heat until it is nicely caramelized, about 3 minutes per side. Meanwhile, grill the jalapeño and onion over medium heat until lightly charred, turning often, about 3 minutes for the jalapeño and 8 minutes for the onion. As they finish cooking, transfer the pineapple, jalapeño, and onion to a cutting board.
• When they are cool enough to handle, coarsely chop the pineapple, jalapeño, and onion and add to a bowl with the vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, and cilantro. Season with more salt, and add more vinegar or honey, if needed. Set aside until ready to serve.
• Remove the chicken breasts from the marinade, shaking off any excess, and bring to room temperature. Place skin side down over high heat. After about 90 seconds, using tongs, rotate 45 degrees and cook for another 2 minutes. Flip the breasts and do the same on the other side. Once you have nice grill marks on both sides, move to medium heat and cook, turning often, until an instant-read meat thermometer, placed in the thickest part of a breast, reads 160ºF on a meat thermometer. Transfer to a cutting board and let the breasts rest for 10 minutes before slicing and serving with the relish.

RUM CHICKEN MARINADE

Steps:

• Whisk lime juice, dark rum, olive oil, soy sauce, garlic, cinnamon, ginger, and hot sauce together in a bowl.