Oysters, Lemongrass Chix, Roasted Red-Wine Chix

Gretl · March 2000

Hi folks,
It was a three-Egg weekend. Friday night I smoked a mess of oysters over rosemary branches, low and slow, for about 4 hours. They were for a Saturday dinner. Refrigerated overnight and brought to room temp before serving. They were wonderful.[p]Saturday I prepared NB's Lemongrass Chicken Thighs and they were flawless. Great flavor, of course, deep dark color, and the meat fell off the bones. Our guests pronounce it the Best Chicken they EVER had. I made more than double the recipe, as husband Jim delights in the leftovers which he claims are even better the next day if that's possible.[p]Now, here's the new recipe I tried. This is from the FoodWine list from several years back which I adapted for the Egg. No exact measurements, but this is what I did:[p]Roast Chicken with Red Wine and Peppers[p]-One whole chicken (mine was about six-ish pounds)
-Oyster sauce (bottled Oriental kind available in most supermarkets)
-Ketchup
-Soy sauce
-Garlic (a few squashed cloves, and lots of peeled whole cloves)
-Dried basil
-Dried oregano
-Ground pepper
-Brown sugar
-Butter
-Red wine (cheap, but drinkable)
-Chicken stock powder/granules (Knorr brand is good)
-One red pepper, cut in thick chunks
-One green pepper, cut in thick chunks
-One big onion, cut in thick chunks[p]Place washed and dried chicken on a low rack in a fairly deep roasting pan with room around it. I lined the pan with foil which made cleanup MUCH simpler. Smear chicken with squashed garlic, then smear it thinly with both oyster sauce and ketchup. Sprinkle sparingly with basil, oregano, and pepper. Sprinkle generously with brown sugar. Dot with butter.[p]Pour a few spoonfuls of oyster sauce into the pan around the chicken. Add a few spoonfuls of soy sauce. Scatter about 2 or 3 teaspoons of chicken stock powder around the pan. Pour in the red wine to the depth of about an inch up the sides of the pan. Scatter the whole garlic cloves, and the pepper and onion chunks around the chicken. Add a bit of extra brown sugar if the wine's very dry.[p]Roast at 375 in the Egg; I used indirect over firebricks because I wanted to make sure the liquid didn't burn away. I kept the temp between 350-375 and waited until the Polder read 180. The chicken was magnificent. I put it on a platter surrounded by the pepper, onion, and garlic. I strained the pan juices (plenty!), took away as much of the grease as I could, and made a gravy by adding the juice to a roux of about a tablespoon of butter and a tablespoon of flour whisked together. I served mashed potatoes also.[p]The Food Critics didn't even come up for air, they were eating with such gusto. It was difficult to serve the bird because once again, the meat was falling off the bones. So juicy and tender! You've gotta try this one; it's a winner.[p]Cheers,
Gretl (just 1/2 hour until lunchtime when I get to enjoy a very little bit which was left over!)

Nature Boy · March 2000

Gretl,
Wow. I printed that recipe, and will definitely give it a shot. Sounds like it is right up our alley. Thanks for posting it!! Happy to hear the thighs turned out well, and that they were a hit. Sounds like you guys really chowed down over the weekend.[p]The oysters sound great too . What temp did you cook them at?? Were they already shucked??[p]Thanks
NB

Gretl · March 2000

Nature Boy,
Yes, they were shucked. I bought the "select" frying size (large; they shrink very dramatically), drained them, and coated them with a mixture of garlic, olive oil, and hot sauce. I arranged them over a bed of rosemary on a rack, sprinkled them with ground black pepper, and laid the rack over a drip pan with water, and kept the egg temp between 250-275. They are dark, nutty-flavored and very tender when they're done; not a bit "squishy" and not dry, either. Before I served them on Sunday, I tossed them in a very small amount of olive oil.[p]I just finished the leftover red-wine chicken. Sob! It was wonderful. I'm wondering if I could have used a chicken-sitter over a pan instead of laying the bird on a shallow rack. I guess so, but the seasonings might just drip off. Probably worth a try, though. Maybe I'll mix up the ketchup, oyster sauce, garlic, and butter first instead of layering them. Indirect is the key, here. Too hot on the bottom of the pan, and you wouldn't get any great juice for gravy.[p]Your recipe for Lemon Grass Chicken Thighs is such a favorite at our house. One question: the tamarind I use comes in a sort of block, but before I use it, I have to get the seeds out which reminds me of pitting dates. Not my favorite task. I think tamarind comes in a different form of concentrate, too, doesn't it? Without seeds. I'll have to check. I used tamarind juice in the Pad Thai, so I had nothing left over from the block I bought on Friday.[p]Cheers,
G.

Nature Boy · March 2000

Gretl,
I had some of those smoked oysters in a can over the camping trip. Seemed to be a favorite around the campfire. I will give them a try on the egg again. Did you use any smoking wood?[p]I buy the Tamarind concentrate in the jar (still haven't tried the blocks, though I have some). The concentrate has a consistency like apple butter, and no seeds. People use this mixed with hot water as a tea that really helps a sore throat, but it works great in marinades and finishing sauces.[p]Thanks again
NB

Gretl · March 2000

Nature Boy,
Yes, I forgot to mention that I added some chips; I'm pretty sure they were Applewood chips that I'd soaked for about a half-hour. Just a small handful was plenty, and the smokey flavor was light and sweet. If you liked the smoked oysters in a can, you should certainly try doing them yourself on the Egg![p]Thanks for the info re: tamarind concentrate. I will definitely get that the next time. I don't remember the name, but it has a red plastic screw-off top. Forget the blocks![p]BTW, our guests absolutely loved the Pad Thai. I have a good recipe that I'll send you off-list (since it doesn't use the Egg) if you're interested.[p]Cheers,
G.

Nature Boy · March 2000

Gretl,
Yes. Please email me that Pad Thai recipe.[p]Just got some apple chips, so maybe it is about time to do them oysters!
Thanks
NB

Cornfed · March 2000

Gretl,[p]Wow!!! That sounds like an amazing weekend of cooking and dining delights! I like your style of inexeact measurements of spices. This seems to be viewing cooking more as the art than as the science. I realize both are important, but lately I've been tending towards creating seasonings without doing the fine measurements.[p]Congrats and thanks for the descriptions/recipes.[p]Cornfed

Elder Ward · March 2000

Gretl,[p]If you ever become single for what ever reason let me know I could get you fixed up with some real neat young men. (No I'm happily married just like you but if that ever happens to you don't have to worry with those kind of skills)[p]Elder Ward

Oysters, Lemongrass Chix, Roasted Red-Wine Chix

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