Here’s a way to thrill your pals for The Super Bowl or any weekend gathering. This recipe is a favorite of mine, adapted from a recipe by the very talented Melissa Clark, and originally published in The New York Times Essential Cookbook.
—Faith Middleton
Ingredients
- 1 cup salted, roasted cashews
- 8 tablespoons chopped cilantro (with some stems)
- 1/4 cup canola or safflower oil
- 4 cloves garlic roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1-2 jalapeño peppers sliced, without seeds
- juice from 1 lime
- 2 tablespoons water
- kosher salt
- freshly ground pepper
- 3 pounds chicken thighs or drumsticks
- lime wedges for garnish
Servings: people
Instructions
- Combine the cashews, 2 tablespoons cilantro, oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, jalapeño, and water in s blender or food processor and blend until smooth, scraping down the sides, as necessary. Taste and season with the salt and pepper.
- Season chicken all over with salt and pepper. Set aside 1/3 of the cashew mixture. Smear on enough of the remaining mixture to thoroughly coat the chicken. Let marinate at room temperature while you heat a broiler or grill. (Or refrigerate up to 12 hours before cooking.)
- Broil or grill the chicken 20-30 minutes, turning frequently, until it's crisp and golden on the outside and done on the inside. (Faith cuts into it to be sure.)
- Sprinkle the chicken with the remaining cilantro and serve with lime wedges and the remaining cashew mixture. (Faith likes this with rice or quinoa when she's feeding a crowd.)
Recipe Notes
The recipe can be doubled to serve 8.
