Grilled Capsicum Wine Chicken Thighs (燒烤紅油辣椒酒鷄髀, Siu1 Haau1 Hung4 Jau4 Laat6 Ziu1 Zau2 Gai1 Bei2)

Ming Teh Food’s brand Capsicum in Red Oil provides a spicy addition to this grilled wine based chicken recipe. Capsicum is finely ground red chili and is sold bottled in oil. The spiciness of the dish depends upon the amount added to the marinade and is a personal preference, so feel free to increase or decrease the amount used. The spiciness of the chili with the red wine go well together in a soy based marinade. The dish is very easy to make and cooking time is fast if chicken thighs are used.

Enjoy!

Ingredients

6 lb.	3 kg.	Chicken thigh meat (鷄髀, gai1 bei2)
½ in.	15 mm.	Knob of ginger (薑, goeng1), crushed in a garlic press
6 cloves	6 cloves	Garlic (蒜, syun3), crushed in a garlic press
4 Tbs.	60 ml.	Ming Teh Food brand Capsicum in Red Oil (紅油辣椒, hung4 jau4 laat6 ziu1) or equivalent
½ cup	125 ml.	Soy sauce (豉油, si6 jau4)
2 Tbs.	30 ml.	Hoisin sauce (海鮮醬, hoi2 sin1 zoeng3)
½ cup	125 ml.	Red wine (紅酒, hung4 zau2)
½ tsp.	2.5 ml.	Ground white pepper (白胡椒, baak6 wu4 ziu1)
1 Tbs.	15 ml.	Sesame oil (麻油, maa4 jau4)

 

Equipment

		Garlic press
4 qt.	3.8 L.	Covered bowl
		Tongs and an oil coated paper towel
22.5 in.	57 cm.	Covered charcoal or gas grill (or larger)

 

Ming Teh Food Brand Capsicum in Red Oil
(紅油辣椒, hung4 jau4 laat6 ziu1)

Instructions

1. Prepare the chicken thighs by removing any excess fat and remaining yellow skin. Ideally all the yellow skin was removed during the vendor’s chicken cleaning process, but some always remains and will prevent the marinade from penetrating the skin. Use your fingers and rub any remaining yellow skin from the chicken under cold running water.
2. Marinate the chicken in a covered container for at least 24 hours, turning the chicken halfway through the marinating time to make sure the chicken is fully coated, in the refrigerator with the ginger and garlic crushed in a garlic press, Ming Teh Food brand Capsicum in Red Oil or equivalent, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, red wine, ground white pepper, and sesame oil. Take the chicken out of the refrigerator at least one hour before cooking and discard the marinade. Coat the chicken surfaces with ground black pepper.
3. Prepare the charcoal or gas grill for indirect cooking following the manufacturer’s instructions. Light the charcoal or preheat the gas grill accordingly. Soak the smoking wood (oak or pecan goes well with this dish) for one hour if desired. I use dry and not soaked wood.
4. If using a charcoal grill, arrange the lighted coals on one half of the grill. The side of the grill with the coals (the “hot” side) will used to brown the chicken and the side without the coals (the “cool” side) will be used for smoking the chicken. For a gas grill, follow the manufacturer’s instructions as to which burners to leave on for indirect cooking. Clean the grill to remove any leftover charred bits from the last use and with a folded paper towel coated in oil, use tongs to lubricate the grill. Put the smoking wood onto the coals or as per the instructions for the gas grill.
5. Place the chicken, skin side up, on the cool side of the grill and cook the chicken for 15 minutes covered. Uncover the grill and then move the chicken, skin side down, to the hot side of the grill to brown the chicken for 2-5 minutes. Turn the chicken over, skin side up, and repeat the procedure. Remove the chicken from the grill and allow to rest for 10 minutes. The temperature of your fire and previous experience with your grill will determine the total cooking time for the chicken.