There’s nothing taboo about cooking with alcohol, nor will it make one compromise their religious beliefs doing so. The alcohol burns off in the cooking process, so all you’re left with is the flavor, not the fumes. Adding rum to a marinade not only helps to tenderize the meat, it adds a unique layer of flavor to your food you just can’t recreate with other ingredients.
This recipe uses 1/4 cup of rum in the marinade and another 1/4 cup in the sauce and is the perfect companion to the tropical flavors of pineapple, ginger and lime. Crispy chicken, tangy sauce, and sweet jasmine rice, what more could you ask for?
So don’t be shy, break out the rum!
Ingredients:
For the marinade:
3 garlic cloves, peeled & crushed
3 tablespoons brown sugar
2 cups chicken broth
2 inches fresh gingerroot, peeled and grated
1 cup pineapple juice
1/4 cup dark rum
2 tablespoons olive oil
1⁄4 teaspoon allspice
Zest from one lime
Remaining ingredients:
8 chicken thighs, with skins
4 cups chicken broth
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes
1 cup jasmine rice
1 cup fresh pineapple, chopped
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup orange bell pepper, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
1/4 cup rum
Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper
Directions:
1) Place the chicken in a shallow baking pan.
2) Mix all the marinade ingredients together in a bowl and then pour the marinade over the chicken. Cover the dish and place it in the refrigerator 8-10 hours.
3) Remove the dish from the refrigerator and allow the chicken to come to room temperature.
4) Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.
5) Line a baking pan with aluminum foil and place the chicken on the foil. Season each thigh with salt and pepper and place the pan in the oven. Bake the chicken for 30 – 40 minutes or until the juices run clear when pierced with a fork and the skin is crispy.
6) Cook the rice according to package directions.
7) In a medium saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat and sauté the garlic, onions, and peppers until they are soft, about 5 – 8 minutes. Stir in the crushed red pepper flakes and cook for one minute. Add the pineapple and cook for one minute more.
8) Carefully add the rum (in case of flame flare-ups), chicken stock, brown sugar and the chopped cilantro to the pan. Reduce the heat and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 – 15 minutes.
9) To serve, spoon the rice onto plates, followed by a scoop of the sauce. Then place a piece of the chicken on top. Season each plate with a generous pinch of chopped cilantro.
