Chicken with Ginger Scallion oil

My new blog post, note that I just copy it all here so there is little reason to go there.

In my continuing idea of fusing the flavors of my American and Japanese heritages, I present this dish. It leans on a traditional combination of Japanese and Chinese flavors and techniques with my preference for putting everything in the kettle for cooking. So, I present in full title, Applewood Smoked Chicken with a Ginger, Garlic and Scallion sauce with brown basmati rice and garlic dry fried beans.

I started with a organic, cage free chicken breast (this matters as it is larger than a normal pen-raised factory chicken) which was split and rubbed with an Chinese inspired rub. This was wrapped tightly and placed to rest and come to room temperature. A fire was started and allowed to come to 350F with two small chunks of apple wood, total size about the size of a man's fist. Here is the chicken on the grate.
In about an hour, the chicken was ready. I do not turn or adjust the chicken during cooking, I make sure to place the thickest part of the chicken towards the fire and let the kettle do it's thing. This is the result I got, my goal always is to get the chicken just done

I removed a breast and sliced it, in this instance I wanted the skin crispy, so when slicing, I turn the skin down and slice through the breast and skin with a sharp-thin bladed knife. I used less than one-half of a breast for dinner, it was plenty due to the size of the breast. I find that to my taste, the organic cage-free (a misnomer for sure) chicken breast is easier to cook correctly and tastes better as well. I then made an infused oil using thin sliced scallions (white part only), fresh ginger and fresh garlic and a little secret pepper sauce. This was brought to a high heat and poured over the chicken after plating. Here it is with some brown basmati rice and green beans with garlic.
This was some good stuff, the chicken was cooked perfectly moist and the oil was intensely flavorful and savory. The beans and rice made this an incredible dinner.

Please note: recipes will follow in a day or two, I really needed to post something. Recipes do not yet exist.

Ginger-Scallion Oil:
3 medium scallions, cut into 1/8" thick slices, white and light green parts only
4 medium to large cloves garlic, finely minced
2" long piece of ginger root, scraped and sliced about twice thickness of quarter
1 cup oil, I use canola or canola and peanut oil
1/2 teaspoon hot sauce or 1 finely sliced red chile de arbol or green serrano



1. Prepare all vegetables, keep separate.
2. In small sauce pan heat oil until hot, reduce heat to medium-low. Do not burn oil.
3. Add ginger slices and cook until soft. Remove and reserve.
4. Add green onions and garlic and cook in oil, should bubble vigorously at first.
5. If using peppers, add pepper slices and then press ginger in a garlic press into oil.
6. Add hot sauce at this point.
7. Remove from heat and spoon over chicken, the oil should he about half oil and half vegetables.

Gore said:

Beautiful pron, now why can't you teach me to cook like that instead of always dragging me to woodpile?

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Master of Gore told me that you could not be trusted alone with fire, but, you were very familiar with woodpile and something about switches, curious red marks and being called squirrel...but...perhaps I heard too much.

OakPit said:

I'm looking for Demo partners in the Livermore shop...love the poultry choice! Great looking meal.

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Since the shop is not open yet, I doubt there is anybody in there.

If you would like someone to come in there and cook on a kettle or grill, I am willing to help you out on Saturday afternoons and Sundays. Saturday mornings I hang out with my aunt, who's keys I took away, so Saturday mornings are out. I hear that that BBQ Grail guy is not a bad grill-type guy too, and he knows the way to Livermore.