Roatan Island Bourbon Chicken

I found this recipe via a photo on Tastespotting as a result of searching for chicken of some sort. Seeing how easy the recipe was, I had to try it. A six-pack of whole chicken legs were purchased and away I went.

Reading further into this post, you'll probably notice that something about the way I went about this just doesn't seem right. As a former supervisor back in my days of slinging fast-ish food would say when someone goofed up, "what were you thinking?" Right away, he'd answer for that Goof-Up, "that's right, you weren't!"  He's the same guy that had a cardboard tube from a roll of industrial plastic wrap named The Motivator.

I'm not quite sure what I was thinking when I executed this recipe. Check out the more appropriate way by clicking the link below but if you're in it for kicks, proceed and see what I did.

Roatan Island Bourbon Chicken
adapted from Food o' del Mundo

1/2 c bourbon
1/2 c soy sauce
1/4 c Worcestershire Sauce
1/2 c Noilly Prat (I was aiming for a full cup but ran out)
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp onion powder
1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 1/2 tsp ginger, powdered
1 1/2 tsp black pepper
1/8 c Dijon mustard
1 c brown sugar
5 lbs chicken thighs and legs

Heat grill or grill pan. Combine all ingredients but chicken in a large bowl.

Sear chicken on each side to get grill marks and grill flavor. Add seared chicken to marinade, stirring to coat well.

Allow chicken to marinate overnight in refrigerator, turning once. Bring chicken to room temperature while preheating oven to 350°F.

Arrange chicken in a large baking dish. Bake at 350° F until chicken is done, 30 to 45 minutes, rotating once during baking time to ensure even browning.



Now doesn't it seem weird that the chicken would be seared BEFORE it went into the marinade?  Yeah, that was the big mistake.  Thankfully refrigeration and high steady heat is readily available to me otherwise I'd likely kill someone, namely Rodney, doing things like I did. And since my chicken wasn't seared after marinating, the color isn't quite what Food o' del Mundo shows in the shot on their post.  My chicken is Wonderbreadish in comparison.

The other thing that I'd change, looking back on it, is the choice of a baking dish when a baking sheet would be much more conducive to even browning and sugar caramelization. Don't you agree? C'mon now, don't be shy; I can take it. Similar to what I said earlier, a little more color wouldn't hurt.  Nevermind the accompanying crispety skin.  Mmm. Crispety skin, I love that stuff!

While the skin wasn't as crispy as one I would like (parts were still a little chewy, but thankfully none was rubbery), the flavor kicked ass.  I think it would be 10 times better if the chicken was marinated, seared, then baked, which compels me to try this again, stat, with the aforementioned corrections.

 Cost:

• chicken: $5.65
• bourbon: $3.75
• Noilly Prat: $0.39
• everything else, SWAG: $2

Total: $11.79, making each of 5 servings about $2.36 or each of 6 servings about $1.97.  We'll probably get four, making each serving $2.95!  Dang, that ranks this as one of the most, if not the most, priciest chicken dishes we've had thus far.

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