Beerlicious East Coaster Sea Chicken Bundles
My gang loves food stuffed into chicken (case in point-their all time favourite: Asparagus Wrapped Chicken Breast with Hollandaise Sauce). Truth is, we’ve been preparing that recipe for years so I was happy to discover this version, dreamed up by the inventive Chef- Ted Reader.
I got to work side by side with Ted this week when he was in town on his Schnieders/Beerlicious tour. Having put in a full prep day for his TV visits, I was happy to have three portions of this recipe left over, after I had done the last of the dishes. The Frenchman was getting ready to leave for Montreal (and to reunite with Daughter #2) and so we invited him to join us.
D seared some asparagus on the grill as the bundles were roasting and all we had to add was a crusty loaf of bread.
- 12 inch cedar plank, soaked in cold water for at least 1 hour
- Spray bottle of water
- 8 boneless, skinless, chicken thighs
- 1 bottle Alexander Keith's Red
- +1 bottle Amber Ale (12 oz)
- 1 c ground chicken
- ½ lb. cooked lobster, coarsely chopped
- 3 T panko (Japanese-style) bread crumbs
- 1 T mayonnaise
- 1 green onion, chopped
- 1 T chopped fresh dill
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 asparagus spears, blanched
- 2 T Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning
- 8 slices bacon (thick)
- Place thighs in a large self-sealing bag. Pour in 1 bottle of Alexander Keith's Red Amber Ale. Seal bag, turning bag and gently massaging meat to evenly coat. Refrigerate and let marinate, turning occaisionally to evenly marinate, for 6-8 hours or overnight.
- Drain thighs, discarding leftover mariade, and pat dry with paper towels. Set aside.
- In a large bowl, combine ground chicken, lobster meat, panko bread crumbs, mayonnaise,green onion and dill. Drizzle with extra beer. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Mix gently to combine.
- Lay thighs on flat work surface. Evenly spread 1 T of ground chicken mixture over entire surface of each thigh, then top with an asparagus spear along the narrow end. Tightly roll up each thigh around asparagus.
- Season rolled thighs with Bone Dust BBQ Seasoning, coating evenly. Wrap 1 slice of bacon tightly around each rolled thigh.
- Preheat grill to medium (350-450 degrees F)
- Arrange bacon-wrapped thighs, spaced apart, on plank.
- Place plank on grill. Close lid and plank-bake, occasionally with beer and checking to ensure plank has not caught fire, for 40 to 45 minutes, or until bacon is crisp and chicken is fully cooked (internal temperature of 160 degrees F). (Note: If plank catches fire, extinquish with bottle of water.)
- Remove from grill, Serve immediately.
If you are watching your fat intake and are concerned about the bacon, you may wish to remove it from your bundle and pass it along to Mrs. Spratt. You will still enjoy all the bacony taste that has permeated the chicken. I try to reduce fat with products where I do not miss the taste like Greek yogurt and sour cream, so that I can enjoy real butter on my popcorn or a crispy, salty strip of bacon. Moderation folks, is the key (took me way too long to learn this lesson).
Daughter #2 is still in Montreal, J1 & J2 are heading to the lake, Daughter #1 is staying in town to attend Movies in the Park and D and I are off to assemble with his family at a Minnesota Lake, so we will not be together for this long weekend. But I am looking forward to us assembling in our backyard paradise so that D can fire up the grill and I can ensure that the beer is icy cold. What could be better?
Kath’s quote: “Life expectancy would grow by leaps and bounds if green vegetables smelled as good as bacon.”-Doug Larson
Love-that is all.
Photo used according to stipulated conditions: http://www.flickr.com/photos/not_on_display/with/4430743342/
