Smoky Orange Grilled Chicken

Grilling season is upon us once more! When the warm spring weather finally rolls in after months of snow and dreary skies, we grill almost every night so I’m always on the lookout for new ingredients to spice up our usual grilled chicken dishes. Chicken seasoned with Spanish smoked paprika, olive oil and garlic is a family favorite but even our favorites can get a little boring if we eat them too often. So I went on a supermarket mission to find something different to add to the smoked paprika marinade that I usually make. In the international food aisle, a bottle of Goya Bitter Orange caught my eye so I brought it home and added a big splash to the smoked paprika marinade. All I can say is WOW! Bitter Orange + smoked paprika = YUM! Don’t be fooled by the bitter designation because the flavor isn’t truly bitter, but rather a really strong orange flavor without the sweetness inherent in the orange juice that you drink for breakfast. You wouldn’t drink bitter orange juice on its own but it’s awesome in marinades and I imagine you could make a mean cocktail with it.

If you’re lucky enough to get your hands on some fresh sour oranges or bitter oranges, then by all means juice those babies and use the fresh juice instead of the bottled stuff. Sour or bitter oranges aren’t stocked at my local supermarket but I wonder if they’re available at the Latino market in the next town over. Field trip!

SMOKY ORANGE GRILLED CHICKEN

4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup bitter orange juice
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly cracked black pepper
1 large bay leaf, crumbled

Whisk together all of the ingredients, except the chicken.

Place the chicken pieces in a large bowl or in an extra-large ziplock bag. Pour the marinade over the chicken and turn the pieces until they are coated in the marinade. If using a bowl, cover with a lid or plastic wrap. If using a ziplock bag, gently press out the extra air before closing the top.

Refrigerate the chicken for 6-8 hours. For best results, turn the chicken in the marinade after a few hours.

Let the chicken rest in the marinade at room temperature for 30 minutes before grilling.

Heat grill to medium high.

Gently shake off any excess marinade from the chicken pieces before placing on the grill. Grill for approximately 10 minutes per side for large pieces, such as the breast or thigh. Smaller pieces like the wing will cook much faster so turn them after 5 or 6 minutes. The chicken is done when the juices run clear when pricked with a fork or small knife.

Serves 4.

Garlic Burgers

WOO-HOO!!! It’s 80 degrees in Connecticut! Fire up the grill!

Yeah, it’s only April but today’s sunshine and balmy breezes totally feel like summer. And what could be more quintessentially summer than grilling some burgers and dining al fresco?

These hamburgers aren’t your plain old garden variety hamburger because they are loaded with bits of garlic in every bite. The inspiration for my garlic burgers comes from the Hudson Valley Garlic Festival, which is held every year in Saugerties, New York. (This year’s Garlic Festival takes place on September 26 and 27- you should go!) On my first trip to the Festival, I tasted the most insanely delicious hamburger EVER. It was steaming hot off the grill, with huge chunks of garlic poking through the patty and slathered with dijon mustard. In other words, it was heaven on a bun. Ever since that fateful day, every hamburger created in my house is studded with garlic. I’ve never been able to quite duplicate the absolute awesomeness of my very first garlic burger, but this recipe comes pretty close.

I like to top my garlic burgers with caramelized onions and dijon mustard. Of course, you can use whatever toppings you like so get creative- maybe some bleu cheese or hot cherry pepper slices or olive tapenade. Or go traditional with tomatoes, lettuce, ketchup and mustard. It’s up to you. But make sure you don’t forget the pickles and potato chips.

GARLIC BURGERS

3 pounds lean ground beef
15 big garlic cloves, chopped (this is usually a whole head of garlic)
1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
freshly ground black pepper to taste
10 kaiser rolls
2 tablespoons olive oil
Optional: 2 garlic cloves, halved

Mix the first five ingredients until the garlic is evenly distributed throughout the ground beef.

Use a half-cup measuring cup to make equal sized patties. Gently pack some of the ground beef into the cup, but not too tightly. Gently turn over into the palm of your hand and gently shape into a patty. Repeat with the remaining beef.

Heat the grill to medium high. Grill each hamburger for 7-10 minutes per side, turning once. If you like a rarer burger, shoot for the 7 minute mark. If you like it well done them aim for 10 minutes but take a look after 9 minutes because the burgers might be done. Be mindful that each grill varies a bit so pay attention while you’re grilling so that you don’t accidentally overcook the burgers.

While the burgers are grilling, split each kaiser roll. Brush the cut sides lightly with the olive oil.

When the burgers are done, remove to a platter and set aside to rest for a few minutes while you prepare the rolls.

Place the rolls, cut side down, on the grill for a minute or two until they toast a bit on the edges. Keep an eye on them so that they don’t become too dry, like toast. They should be browned and crusty on the edges but still soft inside.

If you’re REALLY in the mood for garlic, gently rub a cut side of a garlic clove against the toasted side of a roll. Otherwise, you cans skip this step. I love the fresh pungency of the raw garlic but you can leave it out without compromising flavor.

Makes 10 burgers.