Lime & Lemongrass Chargrilled Chicken with Summer Greens

Yummy, easy to make, in quick time and loved by everyone. This is a staple in our homes, all the effort goes into making our special marinade, and then the rest is easy on the BBQ. You can't go wrong with this delicious and versatile dish. You can use any of our cooking pastes to introduce new flavours every time you want to char-grill or BBQ. Squeeze some fresh lime or lemon juice, and boom! you'll be in heaven. Don't forget your fresh and crisp wine with this beauty.

Cooking Time  30 minutes

Serves  4

Ingredients

• Chicken thighs                             8 pieces
• Tomato and Tamarind paste        6 x Tbsp
• Olive oil                                        3 x Tbsp
• Lemon                                          x 3
• Coriander chopped                      2 x Tbsp
• Asparagus ends chopped off      x 12
• Broccolini                                     x 8
• Green beans topped and tailed   x 20
• Baby capsicums                         x 4

Notes

1. We used Tomato and Tamarind paste for this dish. This recipe is also good with Lemon & Pepper, Lime & Lemongrass and Ginger & Zest of Orange pastes
2. This recipe can be done with or without the skin on the chicken it is entirely up to you. We prefer to take the skin off.
3. You can use the marinade used in this dish for other meats as well, you can add fresh chopped mint and corriander to the marinade to introduce a new dimension.

Method

1. Score each chicken thigh 3-4 times with a sharp knife. They should be about 1cm deep and not so deep you cut right through it.
2. In a large bowl mix the paste with 2 tbsp of olive oil and the juice of 1 lemon. Add the chicken thighs and combine well massaging the paste into the slashes in the chicken. Cover and put in fridge for at least 30min.
3. Bring a pot of water to the boil and season with a tsp of salt. Fill another large bowl or your sink with cold water and ice cubes if you have them and set aside
4. Plunge beans, asparagus and broccolini into the boiling water. Let it come back to the boil and drain into a colander. Put immediately into ice water to stop the cooking.
5. Have your BBQ or griddle on a high heat. Season chicken well with salt. Oil your griddle and place chicken thighs skin side down (if you have left the skin on it is better not to cook them over the open flame on your BBQ, just do them on the flat grill or if you have it the griddle). Cook 4-5 min each side, if you are getting too much colour or charring then turn down the heat. Once chicken is cooked set aside in a bowl and keep warm (in an oven).
6. Chargrill your vegies on the grill, don’t forget your baby capsicums. Cut 2 lemons or lime in half and place the cut side down on the grill to caramelize. 
7. Divide your chargrilled vegies on your plates and top with 2 chicken thighs per person. Place lemon or lime halves on each plate too. Drizzle of the cooking juices from the bottom of your bowl and season well with salt and pepper.

Tips

1. If you aren't sure whether your chicken is cooked, cut a piece open and check.If it  is still pink, then pop it back on the griddle or cover it and put it in the oven for 10 minutes at 180C
2. You can substitute the cooking pastes in the marinade with other pastes to experiment with different flavours, you can apply to lamb, beef, pork and seafood as marinades before putting it on the BBQ
3. If chicken is sticking to the grill or griddle do not panic, it's not ready to be turned over, once the chicken releases it's oils you will be able to turn the chicken over very easily without tearing the meat.