Pass it On: The Best Barbecued Sticky Chicken with Lemon & Garlic

 

First...Chris and I were fortunate enough to be able to attend an event last night called World of Flavor, Taste 2010.  Thanks to a wonderful kick back from the company I now work for, we got to taste some of the most amazing food and wines.  I mean they had everything from amazingly tasty shrimp tacos, to sushi (my favorite), to ribs, to pizza and pasta, to the best tasting cannoli I've had in a long time (courtesy Grimaldi's Pizzeria). This event benefits the Boys & Girls Club of Metro Phoenix.  If you are unfamiliar with the Boys & Girls Club, they are about inspiring and enabling all young people, especially those who need "them the most", to reach their full potential as productive, responsible citizens.  This event began as a small dinner party and now 36 years later it attracts about 6,000 guests annually. Anyway.... it was AMAZING.  We would have never been able to actually afford to go on our own, so it was a great opportunity and so appreciated!!

Now..it's time.... for my first "Pass it On" recipe!!!  I'm so excited!!!  This dish turned out to be simple and absolutely delicious!  Wanna know another nice thing about it?  The entire meal I made cost only $11!!!  And when I say entire meal I mean, the chicken and all the ingredients (minus the olive oil and salt and pepper), potatoes, zucchini, and bread.  It was a ton of food for very little money (psst, and it actually was enough to feed 4, we had plenty left over).  If you missed Saturday's post, you probably have no clue what I'm talking about.  In short, I'm joining Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution and I'm asking that you join with me.  All you have to do is take this recipe, or any recipe of your choice, for that matter, make it, and then pass it on to someone else.  The object is to get more people not only cooking, but cooking healthy things.

As I was saying, the dish... I believe it's the best chicken dish I've had in a long time.  Honestly!  The thighs got so moist and juicy.  They just sucked up all the lemon and garlic while it roasted in the oven and then again as it quickly browned on the grill.  The flavor was light and zesty and sweet.  The garlic, because of the roasting, was subtle, yet sweet.  The combination was perfect.  So now the goal here is to have you, my loyal reader, re-create this recipe and then pass it on to someone else...have them make it and then pass it on to someone else....and so on and so on.  So, are you up for the challenge?  If you do end up making it, drop me a line letting me know what you think.  If you make it and have a blog, please bog about it and encourage others to...Pass it On!

***Cooks Note:  My mom asked me if you could use chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs...and yes, I believe chicken breasts would work just fine....but you are going to want to make sure it's bone-in, skin on..because what the sauce does to the skin is what makes the dish.  If you choose to use chicken breasts, you are going to want to roast the chicken and garlic and lemon for at least an hour, depending on the size of the breasts.***

The Best Barbecued Sticky Chicken with Lemon & Garlic
Adapted from Jamie Oliver
Ingredients:
4-8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
kosher salt and ground pepper
extra virgin olive oil
1 small bulb of garlic, whole
2 lemons
5 sprigs of rosemary, tied together

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Season the chicken with salt and pepper.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Use a double layer of aluminum foil and place the chicken into the middle of it with the garlic.  Cut one lemon in half and add that too.  Close up the foil and place on a baking sheet or in a shallow baking dish.  Place in the preheated oven and bake for 40 minutes.  Remove from oven.  (COOKS NOTE:  after further reviewing this recipe, you should actually put the bulb of garlic in the foil first, drizzle with oil, and let it roast about 15-20 minutes, THEN add the chicken and lemon to the foil, drizzle with more oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and allow to roast the 40 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.)  

Preheat your grill to medium-high.

Carefully remove the garlic from the foil and squeeze the softened bulbs into a food processor.  (for an easy way of doing this, chop the root end part of the bulb off)  Remove the lemons and carefully squeeze the juice into the processor too.  Pulse a few times until the garlic is smashed.  Add about 2-4 Tablespoons of olive oil and pulse a few more times.  You should have a paste.  Add the juice of the other lemon and pulse to combine.

Place the chicken on the grill and baste with the sauce, turning at least twice for about 5-8 minutes or until the skin has browned.  Remove from grill with tongs and enjoy!