Bourbon Chicken atop Zucchini Scallion Pancakes

Reliable Mart proved not so reliable when I swung by thursday, early evening-ish to pick up the ingredients for a bourbon chicken recipe I'd been dying to make all week. To my disappointment the market was closed and I would have to wait yet another day to prepare my bourbon marinade. Reliable Mart, my local Asian grocery store,  is Korean run and features, in addition to all the usual, multi-functional Asian food staples, a huge case stocked with various varieties of Kimchi, a spicy pickled cabbage of Korean origin, and a colorful selection of pre-cut sushi grade fish, in addition to an assortment of dried seaweeds, vegetables, fruits, ornate dishes, and a variety of cooking implements.

Reliable Mart is a far cry from the Vietnamese grocers to which I had become accustomed to in Philadelphia. Though featuring many of the same core ingredients, Reliable Mart in Somerville, with its comparatively inflated prices, feels more like the kind of place from which I would buy Sushi grade fish and feel okay about eating it. This is not to disrespect the frequented Asia Supermarket on Washington Ave., but if they were to sell Sushi Grade fish, I would probably have to pass. And for those Philadelphians reading this, there are many, many more Asian grocers ranging from Korean, to Thai to Chinese, throughout the city, I just happened to frequent the Vietnamese Asia Supermarket because it was down the street from me.

The good news is that despite intricate regional differences in cuisine, many Asian supermarkets will be well stocked with overlapping essential items used across Asian cultures. If you don't have a local Asian grocery store, you may also check out the international foods isle at your local grocery store, though I'll be the first to admit this is not nearly as exciting and the selection not as broad.

If your kitchen is not already stocked with Asian staples (from soy sauce, to fish sauce to Thai chili powder, etc) it may feel like you are spending an arm and a leg to prepare one dish. However, these ingredients will go a long way and you can use them in a variety of difference dishes, even in those not of Asian origin. They are a worthwhile investment for the home cook, especially if you enjoy experimenting with ethnic cuisine and fusion creations.

Bourbon chicken is a prime example of fusion cooking. This dish is a tapestry of Southeast Asian  and Southern US flavors, woven together with a common thread: the incorporation of spicy, savory and sweet into a single bite. From spicy Southern style BBQ to a Thai chicken and chili stir-fry, the underlying flavors are very similar. If you're interested in fusion cooking, I recommend the website Linda's Yummies. It's a beautiful site, full of colorful pictures and great recipes, and it was the source of inspiration for the bourbon chicken featured here.

The recipe...

Bourbon Chicken
Yields 6 Servings

Ingredients
2 lbs boneless chicken tenders

For Marinade
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp thai chili powder or ground cayenne pepper
2 tsp ground coriander seeds
1 shallot, minced
2 cloves garlic, finely grated
1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
Juice of 1 lemon
1/4 cup bourbon ( I used Makers Mark)


Preparation
In  a medium sized mixing bowl grate garlic and ginger, and add minced shallot. Measure soy sauce, bourbon, honey, sugar and mix well with the grated ingredients, until the honey and sugar have emulsified with the soy and bourbon. Add Thai chili powder, coriander, and lemon juice, combining thoroughly into the marinade.

Rinse the chicken tenders under cool tap water and pat dry with paper towels before placing in the marinade. Make sure all of the chicken is immersed in the marinade before covering with plastic wrap and setting inside the fridge. Allow the chicken to marinate for at least 3 hours. Marinating the chicken overnight is ideal, and will allow the chicken to fully absorb the flavors in the marinade.

Cooking 
Ideally I recommend grilling this chicken on low heat. If you don't have a grill, use a non stick pan, or a pan lightly coated with a thin layer of vegetable or canola oil over medium heat. Cook chicken for 2-3 minutes on either side, place in on a dish and cover with foil or a plate to keep warm.

Pour the marinade into the pan and reduce the heat to low-medium for about ten minutes. Heating the marinade thickens it, and kills the residual germs from the raw chicken. Use marinade as a dipping sauce for chicken and zucchini scallion pancakes.

Zucchini Pancakes
Yields 12 Pancakes

Ingredients
2 cups fresh zucchini, coarsely grated
2 tsps ground coriander
1 cup finely sliced scallion (green onion)
2 shallots, minced
1 tbs fresh ginger, grated
1 tsp salt
1 egg
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs

Prepare zucchini by peeling and grating flesh using a box grater. Set grated zucchini on a clean towel and squeeze out excess moisture. In  large bowl combine zucchini and other ingredients and mix by hand, with a whisk, or if you must, an electric mixer.

Coat  frying pan with vegetable oil cooking spray, or a very thin layer of vegetable oil and bring to to low-medium heat. Spoon golf ball sized dollops of zucchini mixture onto the pan, flattening to desired thickness with the spatula. Cook for 3-5 minutes on either side, until the pancakes are golden brown, and fully cooked through the center.

Serve chicken atop golden zucchini pancakes, topped of with fresh scallions, cilantro and a drizzle of bourbon sauce.