The Homeschool Kusinera - Asian Chicken BBQ

Feb. 13, 2008

Asian Chicken BBQ

I love to cook & I love to collect recipes! If I had my way, my home would have a huge kitchen with its own library. I haven't let myself loose on all the wonderful cookbooks I see in bookstores. Maybe it's because I can get my "recipe fix" on the internet & my monthly magazines. I'm really thankful for the internet especially, which is like a gargantuan recipe box of the widest variety of dishes that no cookbook can ever match. And did I already say that it's for FREE?
Television is another popular source with me. Yup, I'm a Discovery Travel & Living Channel junkie who cannot get enough of Jamie Oliver, Nigella Lawson & "The Take Home Chef". My previous addiction was to Lifestyle Channel, but that was when we subscribed to SkyCable. I do miss Rachel Ray, Martha Stewart, Alton Brown, etc., but hey, I homeschool, I have LOTS more to do than just watch them all day.
Another favorite source of recipes for me is newspapers & magazines. I scour the lifestyle sections of the popular broadsheets when they have food features, and food columnists, like Reggie Aspiras, etc. Though most features are actually press releases for food manufacturers out to woo consumers to buy their products, it never hurts to try one that catches your fancy. Besides, I always treat recipes as starting points for customization to my family's taste. You never know where you can find a great recipe!
This next recipe is one such great find. Who would've thought that delicious recipes could come from the Manila Bulletin's Sunday magazine, the Philippine Panorama? The many "discoveries" I had in this mag was courtesy of the expertise of Sylvia Reynoso-Gala, an institution in the Phliippine culinary scene, & her sponsors, of course! Sadly, though, Ms. Gala's column is no longer in the Panorama. I've been looking at every issue for the past 3 months, but it isn't there anymore.
So here is the recipe for Asian Chicken Barbecue. Why Asian? Probably because of the peanut butter & the coconut milk in the marinade, not to mention the curry powder! This definitely isn't a typical Filipino's barbecue, but variety is the spice of life! No harm in trying!

ASIAN CHICKEN BARBECUE

500 grams chicken fillet
1 cup coconut milk
1/4 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup onions, chopped
1 tbsp. curry powder
1 small siling labuyo, finely cut
1 tsp. rock salt
1 tsp. ground pepper

In a bowl, combine coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, chopped onions, curry powder, siling labuyo, salt & pepper. Marinate chicken fillet in this mixture for one to eight hours. Reserve marinade.
Skewer marinated fillet onto barbecue sticks & grill until done. Heat reserved marinade in a sauce pan for five minutes until thickened.

Tips:

Chicken breast fillet may be healthier, but they tend to overcook easily when you grill or fry them. I'd recommend using thigh fillet instead.
I haven't tried it yet, but I suspect that this recipe will work with pork just as well, instead of chicken.
I used to think that pepper mills were just a luxury, but after tasting the big difference in flavor when I started using freshly ground pepper as against store-brought ground pepper, not anymore! If you don't have a pepper mill yet, get one right away. A good quality pepper mill will be worth the investment!
In case you can't get your hands on freshly grated coconut or niyog in your friendly neighborhood palengke, no need to fret. Most supermarkets now carry canned or powdered coconut milk. To reconstitute coconut milk powder, just follow the directions on the package.

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