Nutty, sweet-tart marinade seasons and tops this crowd-pleasing chicken. The secret to the prep is in pre-baking the chicken — which also takes out the stress if you’re serving a big group — letting it rest for an hour+ and then quickly finishing it on the grill for maximum flavor. I recommend making 1.5x of the marinade, setting aside some to warm and serve alongside the grilled chicken. Great for a crowd.
Pairs well with Couscous recipe below.
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted peanuts, finely ground
- 1 pound bitter orange marmalade
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup fresh orange juice (juice of one orange)
- 6 ounces Dijon-style mustard
- ½ cup fresh tarragon leaves or 2 tablespoons dried tarragon
- 2 teaspoons curry powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 chickens (3 ½ lbs each) cut into pieces
- 1 cup shredded coconut (for garnish)
- 1 cup dried raisins or currants (for garnish)
Directions
- Combine peanuts, marmalade, olive oil, orange juice, dijon mustard, tarragon, curry powder and salt in a bowl to make the marinade. Optional: made ½ recipe extra marinade on the side and save to warm up as a sauce to serve with the grilled chicken later.
- Place chicken pieces in a shallow roasting dish and cover and coat with the marinade. Refrigerate and turn the chicken pieces occasionally for 4-6 hours.
- Preheat oven to 350.
- Bake the chicken with the marinade for 35 minutes in the oven.
- Prepare the grill. Remove the baked chicken from the marinade and grill 4 inches above the hot coals for 8-10 minutes per side basting frequently with the marinade.
- Remove the chicken from the grill and put on a large serving platter, and sprinkle with coconut, raisins or currants.
Spiced Couscous (for a crowd)
Ingredients
- 1 quart chicken stock, preferably homemade
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 1 tablespoon turmeric
- 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
- 1 tablespoon ground ginger
- 1 package (17 ounces) couscous
- ½ cup golden raisins
- ½ cup diced pitted dates
- 1 large summer squash, cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 large zucchini, cut into ¼ inch dice
- 4 carrots, peeled and cut into ¼ inch dice
- 1 large red onion, chopped
- 3 ripe medium tomatoes, seeded and cut into ¼-inch dice
- 1 cup cooked chick-peas
- 1 cup slivered almonds, lightly toasted
Dressing:
- ½ cup olive oil
- ½ cup fresh lemon juice
- Salt to taste
directions
- Place the chicken stock, oil, turmeric, cinnamon, and ginger in a large saucepan. Heat to a full boil and gradually stir in the couscous. Cook until most of the liquid has been absorbed, about 2 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the raisins and dates. Cover the pot tightly and let stand undisturbed for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, combine all the chopped vegetables in a large mixing bowl. Add the chick-peas and almonds and toss to combine. Add the couscous mixture and stir until well combined.
- Prepare the dressing: Whisk the oil and lemon juice together. Pour the dressing over the salad and toss to coat.
- Season to taste with salt.
- Serve the couscous slightly chilled or at room temperature. This salad will keep up to a week stored in the refrigerator.
Makes 15 to 20 servings.