Sourdough is both an art and a science, and can be a lot of fun. Definitely a gateway hobby for serious aficianados of breadmaking, and homebrewing.
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Dinner tonite will be my
Grilled Boneless Mustard Chicken Thighs. It's a great recipe that's fast and easy to make, and very adaptable to many dishes. Party and catering friendly, and scales up/down easily.
2 lbs Chicken Thighs, boneless & skinless, butterflied to even thickness
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2 fl oz Prepared Yellow Mustard (ex: French's Yellow Mustard)
2 fl oz Pineapple Juice
2 tsp Simple Syrup (alt: corn or agave syrup, or honey)
2 tsp Dry White Wine (ex: Sake)
2/3 tsp Med Kosher Salt
Optional: some dried thyme
Directions:
1) Trim and butterfly boneless thighs, and crosshatch on boned side to even thickness, for even penetration of marinade and even cooking sans curling. Place thighs in large non-reactive bowl, cut sides up, and set aside.
2) Shake marinade in small jar until well mixed, pour over thighs, and toss well until covered.
3) Marinate 30 mins at room temperature, or up to 36 hours in fridge (removing from fridge 30 mins prior to grilling, to shed excess cold). Drain/shake off and discard excess marinade, and spray generously with oil.
4) Preheat cast iron griddle plate (preferred) or grill (less so) until very hot, then brush clean and oil well. Place fillets skinned side down (less likely to stick) in a single layer, close lid, and griddle over med-high heat until tops begin to weep, spray with more oil, then turn over and cook deboned side 1-2 mins more until juices run clear and meat is opaque inside. Remove immediately. For maximum juciness, serve or chill promptly.
5) Serve hot or cold, whole, sliced or chopped, either as is, in wraps, tacos, wraps, sandwiches, in stiry fry, atop salads (ex: waldorf), over pasta or rice, in soup, etc.
Comments: there's actually a fair amount of food science that went into this dish. There are other mustard chicken recipes out there, but this one has been finessed for flavor balance and technique - it cooks fast & easy, the sugar is used mostly for browning and as an osmotic moisture loss inhibitor, and the acidity adds brightness and tightens the surface proteins to help (in conjunction with the slight sweetness and salt) retain moisture. The thyme pairs nicely with the mustard and pineapple, and adds savory complexity that also plays nice with maillard reaction (browning). The ingredients are always easy to find on short notice, and as long as you dont over or under cook it, it's fairly idiot proof, the leftovers go with just about everything, and it's far enough out in left field to get some oohs and aaah when you serve it to people who've never had it before. It's a win win recipe.
Sorry about the blurry photo ... it's from last summer, and the lens was apparently dirty.