There are few things that say summer to me more than BBQ everything. Chicken, ribs, pork. The possibilities are endless. And although Sam and I don’t have access to a grill outside, we occasionally head to our nearest pound shop and pick up a trusty disposable one for an evening in the park. Unfortunately, those don’t really have the power to make delicious BBQ chicken, so I’ve had to come up with some ways to oven roast it at home.
I was sent a bottle of Jim Beam Original Bourbon sauce to review, and I loved it. It was super rich (in my opinion) so a little went a long way. But it also had some quite complex depth and a hint of spice and wasn’t overly sweet. And most of all, you really could taste the bourbon. (And it’s recently available in a UK store near you.) With such a tasty accoutrement in hand, I needed to come up with a meal that could really be its match in exciting flavours!
Jim Beam BBQ Chicken, Dressed Potatoes and Sesame Salad
Ingredients:
For the chicken:
4 chicken breasts
3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil
1 1/2 teaspoons of smoked paprika
juice of 1 lemon
3 cloves of garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt
1 cup of BBQ sauce (I used the new Jim Beam)
For the potatoes: *Based on Jamie Oliver’s
1 medium Idaho potato (or similar)
2 sweet potatoes
1/2 a lemon
1 red chilli
coriander (cilantro)
salt
For the Salad:
1 bag of spinach
1 generous handful of coriander (cilantro)
3 spring onions, chopped
2 tablespoons of sesame seeds
2 tablespoons of sweet chilli sauce
2 tablespoons of soy sauce
2 teaspoons of sesame oil
Instructions:
Place chicken in a large ziplock bag. Combine oil, paprika, lemon juice, and garlic in a small bowl. Pour over the chicken in the bag to marinade. Allow it to do so for at least an hour but up to 12.
Preheat the oven to 180 C (350 F). Remove the chicken from the ziplock bag and place on a baking sheet. Season with salt and pepper. Bake for 20 minutes. Then remove from the oven and baste with the BBQ sauce. Then return to the oven. Repeat the basting every 5 minutes for 15-20 minutes. Then allow the chicken to set for at least 5 minutes before slicing and serving.
While the chicken is cooking, put your potato water on to boil whilst you peel your potatoes. Cook them until they are almost soft enough to mash. Strain them through a colander and shake them until they are fluffy. Spread them out onto a baking tray and put them into the oven with your chicken for 10 minutes.
Chop your red chilli and your coriander. Remove your potatoes from the oven and put them into a bowl. Squeeze the lemon juice over top, then toss through with the coriander and red chilli. Salt and pepper to taste.
Make your salad by chopping a large handful of coriander and adding it to a bowl containing your spinach and spring onions. Toast your sesame seeds lightly in a small pan (for about 5 minutes.) Add your sesame seeds to the salad. Pour your soy sauce, sweet chilli and sesame oil into the pan that your sesame seeds were in, and heat for 30 seconds while stirring.
Pour immediately over the salad and toss. Then enjoy!
