Halal cart-style chicken and rice
J. Kenji López-Alt · ♥ 7.8K likes · 304.1K views · 34 min video
Read about thighs in the BrightCulinary Book
Timestamp
Ingredients
Method
Techniques
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
Juice lemons to get about two tablespoons of juice.
Juicing lemons the right way up
- ½ tsp ground coriander seed
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 3 cloves garlic cloves
- ¼ cup olive oil
Into a blender put the lemon juice, ground coriander, dried oregano, garlic cloves and olive oil.
- salt
- pepper
- MSG
Season the marinade heavily with salt, pepper and MSG; it should taste salty, since it also acts as a brine.
- 2 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Trim a little excess fat from the chicken thighs.
Refrigerate at least one hour and no more than four; longer and the lemon juice turns the meat chalky.
Heat a large skillet over medium-high with a drizzle of olive oil until the oil thins and shimmers, around 300F.
- ½ cup Greek yogurt
- ½ cup mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp sugar
Whisk the yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, pepper, salt and MSG, vinegar and lemon juice into a smooth white sauce; stir in chopped parsley.
The white sauce
- 2 tbsp distilled white vinegar
- 1 tsp lemon juice
Flip the chicken and brown the second side; do not push the browning far.
- parsley
Cook to 165F or beyond; thighs are forgiving to 180-190F.
- ½ tbsp butter
In the same pan melt about half a tablespoon of butter, add the turmeric and cumin and scrape up the fond.
- 1½ cups long grain rice
Add the washed rice and toast it in the fat until coated and lightly toasted.
Season with pepper, salt and MSG, going light because the broth is salted.
Chop the cooked chicken into half to quarter inch pieces and return it to its own drippings.
- iceberg lettuce
- Roma tomatoes
- onion
Shred the iceberg, roughly chop the tomatoes, slice the onion.
Soak the onion in warm water to draw out the pungency, then drain.
Turn off the heat under the rice and leave it covered another 10 to 15 minutes to finish absorbing.
Resting the rice off the heat
- harissa
- ghost chili hot sauce
Mix the harissa and ghost chili sauce for the hot sauce.
Blending a hot sauce
Fluff the rice with a spatula and season again.
Return the chopped chicken to the pan with the reserved raw marinade and cook it up once more, reducing the juices.
Plate rice, top with chicken, add lettuce, onion and tomato, then drizzle over the white sauce and the hot sauce.
Plating cart style