A few issues ago, I used chicken thighs in the recipe for BBQ Pulled Chicken Sandwich (visit TheTahoeWeekly.com for the recipe), so since I didn’t want to leave you hanging on what to do with the breasts, I thought this week I’d use them in another recipe. As a matter of fact, you can smoke the breasts at the same time you are smoking the legs.
Don’t worry about over crowding the middle of the grill because, unlike the thighs, you are going to want to cook the breasts directly over the flame. This is because unlike the dark meat, which will remain moist while cooking it slower, the breast will get pretty dry when over cooked or even when cooking too slowly. By searing the breasts directly over the heat and cooking faster, they will retain a lot more moisture.
Before placing the breasts on the grill, make sure it is hot. Use a pair of tongs to hold a rag and wipe the grill with a little oil. Also brush the chicken with a little oil when you season it. When placing the chicken on the grill, give it a little slide back and forth along the grate about an inch or two to be sure it isn’t sticking and then leave it alone. Chicken breasts, just like fish, will stick to the grill if the grill isn’t hot enough or the proteins haven’t caramelized yet. Those grill marks should look pretty dark and the breasts should be a little golden. Look for the sides of the chicken to be white, which is also a great indicator the meat is cooked enough to turn.
For the noodles, you can obviously use Asian noodles, or just use a 12-oz. box of spaghetti. Just be sure that whichever you use, cook them and immediately cool under cold water and then mix with a little oil. This will rinse off the starch and help prevent it from sticking together and seem mushy.
Also, there are a few ingredients that you may omit or substitute if you don’t have them. You can use salt and pepper or add poultry seasoning instead of the five spices. The chili paste is something I like to use to add heat to dishes because I think it adds flavor, too, but you can use whatever your favorite hot sauce is and use the amount that you desire. As for the coconut milk, that isn’t much and might not be worth opening a can if you have nothing else to do with the rest of it, so that’s your call. Anyway, give this a try and enjoy.
Smoked Chicken with Sesame Noodles
4 chicken breasts
Five-spice blend
12 oz. spaghetti or 1 lb. Asian noodles, cooked, cooled, & lightly oiled
¼ C sesame seeds
¼ C chunky peanut butter
1 T coconut milk
2 cloves garlic, chopped fine
1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled & minced
5 T soy sauce
2 T rice vinegar
1 t chili paste
2 T brown sugar
4 scallions, sliced thin
1 carrot sliced, thin on an angle & quickly blanched & cooled
2 T sesame oil
Hot water for thinning the sauce
Season the chicken with salt, pepper and a little five-spice blend and grill it as described in the article. Let it rest for about 5 to 10 minutes and then use a couple of forks to shred it.
Toast the sesame seeds until golden and keep a little aside for garnishing.
In a blender or food processor, blend the rest of the seeds with peanut butter, coconut milk, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste and sugar until smooth. Blend in enough hot water to make the consistency more like heavy cream than a paste.
