trini-chinese chicken

The New York Times Cooking section (and app) is my new favorite cooking tool (sorry, Bon Appetit).  It comes in the form of a newsletter each weekday, wittily penned by Sam Sifton, a Senior Editor/former NYT restaurant critic/Harvard grad.  Despite his tony background, he constantly cracks me up on a near daily basis (one time he linked to a Tupac video).  I especially appreciate his interaction with readers--each time I've tweeted him, he's responded. :)

While I haven't used the app, I do use the "Recipe Box" and website as frequently as I read the newsletter (maybe every other day).  You can easily search by ingredient, cook/chef developer, ease or difficulty of the meal, by regional cuisine, or preparation manner.  Their Thanksgiving and Christmas coverage was equally fantastic, combining new and old in an interesting way for someone with a little bit of cooking/baking experience but not years of personal tradition.  Hey, NYT: you've impressed this non-print-reading millennial!  (That was your goal, right?)

Anyways, tonight I made Sam's Trini-Chinese chicken recipe, which I found by searching for a chicken marinade.  It seemed somewhat similar to the No-Fuss Jamaican Jerk chicken recipe I tried a few weeks ago, and as I'm so tempted to hop on a plane to Trinidad (sup RT flights for $250), I figured I'd try it.  Highly recommended!  (Along with the hilarious newsletter and convenient Recipe Box, should this particular meal not look as appetizing to you as it did to me.)

Trini-Chinese Chicken (photo and recipe via NYT)

INGREDIENTS

8 to 10 chicken thighs, legs and wings, about 2 1/2 to 3 pounds total
2 tablespoons five-spice powder
3 limes
3 tablespoons soy sauce
1 2-inch knob ginger root, peeled and minced
½ cup neutral oil, like canola or grapeseed
2 tablespoons sesame oil
½ cup oyster sauce
1 to 3 tablespoons Scotch-bonnet-pepper sauce, ideally Matouk’s Soca, to taste
 Freshly ground black pepper
¼ cup chopped scallions, for garnish.

PREPARATION

1. In a large, nonreactive bowl, toss the chicken with five-spice powder, then with the juice of 2 of the limes, the soy sauce and the ginger. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes and up to 6 hours. (I marinated overnight and added a Habanero pepper)
2. Heat oils in a large skillet over medium-high heat. There should be at least 1/4 inch of oil in the pan. When the oil is hot, remove chicken from marinade, allowing excess marinade to drip back into the bowl, and fry, in batches if necessary to not crowd the pan, turning the pieces frequently, until well browned and cooked through, 15 to 20 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, make the dipping sauce. Combine oyster sauce, a tablespoon of the Scotch-bonnet-pepper sauce and the juice of the remaining lime and stir to combine. Adjust seasonings with more hot sauce, lime juice and freshly ground black pepper to taste.
4. Garnish with scallions and serve with white or fried rice, with a drizzle of the sauce over each piece of chicken and the remaining sauce on the side.