INDIAN-SPICED CHICKEN WITH YOGURT SAUCE
SERVES 4 • TO PREP 20 MINUTES • STORE 1 TO 24 HOURS • TO FINISH 1 HOUR
Tandoori chicken achieves its hallmark charred, crispy skin and juicy, flavorful meat from a combination of a three-day marinade and a superheated tandoori oven. We wanted to develop a make-ahead chicken dish inspired by this Indian classic. First, we focused on the marinade; we chose a variety of traditional Indian spices and added oil to bloom them and a good amount of salt so that the marinade would have the effect of a brine, guaranteeing juicy meat. For the grilling method, we spread the coals over just half of the grill to create both a hot and a cooler zone; this allowed us to cook the chicken gently on the cooler side before transferring it to the hot side to sear and char the skin. And while grilling the chicken produced a great char and crispy skin, we wanted a recipe that we could make both indoors and out, so we adapted it to work in the oven as well. To replicate the heat of the grill, we used the broiler setting; starting the chicken on the lower-middle rack slowly cooked the chicken through without overcooking the exterior, and switching to a rack set 6 inches from the broiler to finish provided a final blast of heat to give the chicken the trademark char. To reinforce the flavors of the marinade, we created a quick yogurt sauce by reserving a few tablespoons of the marinade and adding fresh cilantro and lime juice. Click here for information on setting up a half-grill fire.
½ cup of vegetable oil
¼ cup of water
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1½ teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon ground turmeric
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
¼ cup plain whole-milk yogurt
2 tablespoons minced fresh cilantro
2 teaspoons lime juice
4 (12-ounce) bone-in split chicken breasts, trimmed and halved crosswise
TO PREP
1. Process oil, water, ginger, coriander, cumin, salt, turmeric, cinnamon, and cayenne in the food processor until smooth, about 20 seconds. In a small bowl, combine yogurt, cilantro, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons oil-spice mixture; cover.
2. Place chicken and remaining oil-spice mixture in 1-gallon zipper-lock bag, press out the air, and seal; toss to coat.
TO STORE
3. Refrigerate chicken and yogurt mixture separately for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours, flipping bag occasionally to ensure chicken marinates evenly.
TO FINISH AND SERVE
4. Remove yogurt mixture from refrigerator and bring to room temperature while preparing chicken. Pat chicken dry with paper towels.
5A. FOR A BROILER: Adjust 1 oven rack to lower-middle position and second rack 6 inches from the broiler element; heat broiler. Set wire rack in the aluminum foil-lined rimmed baking sheet and spray with vegetable oil spray. Arrange chicken skin side down on prepared wire rack. Broil on lower rack until chicken registers 150 degrees, 22 to 26 minutes, flipping chicken halfway through broiling. Transfer chicken to upper rack and broil until skin is spotty brown and crisp and chicken registers 160 degrees, about 3 minutes.
5B. FOR A GRILL: Prepare the hot, half-grill fire. Place chicken skin side down on the cooler side of the grill with thicker ends of breasts facing the hotter side of the grill. Cook, covered until chicken registers 145 to 150 degrees, 20 to 30 minutes. Slide chicken to hotter side of grill and cook, turning as needed until chicken is browned and registers 160 degrees, about 10 minutes.
6. Transfer chicken to a serving platter. Stir the yogurt-marinade mixture to recombine, then drizzle over chicken. Tent loosely with aluminum foil and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes. Serve.
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