I cook allot... I mean almost every night. But when I come across a winner, I stick with it. Below is the recipe for a favorite year round diner my family has. Although a simple chicken dish, it takes about 45 minutes to cook, start to finish. It also can be accelerated with some precook time. In fact, it just may be better to marinade the chicken in the sauce overnight. I will try it and and add a comment with my findings.
Mild/Smooth Cajun Chicken
3lb of mixed skin on chicken wings (I toss in a few legs for the daughter)
8oz of real salted sweet cream butter
1/4 cup of franks red hot hot sauce
My secret Blackening Powder to taste (I don't measure, but would estimate about 2 tablespoons)
Prep:
Chicken
Boil chicken in water in pot until just under fully cooked, I break one open to see if there is any redness or pink in the middle. It's very important not to overcook the chicken here or the rest will not turn out right. It should be very juicy and plump. It's best to error on the undercooked side here as you can always finish up the cooking on the grill later.
Sauce:
This is the easy part. Drop butter in small sauce pan and slowly melt. When the butter is melted, stir in the Franks Hot Sauces. Until you get the hang of it, pour in smaller portions until you get a nice pumpkin orange color. Add a pinch of salt, pepper and a pinch of a chili powder for a nice presentation. Stir until fully blended, I find that getting the temperature just right will help in keeping the sauce ready for cooking.
Never, never, never boil this mixture, it will change the taste.
Cooking:
Preheat grill to 400-500 degrees
Preheat oven to 375
Start by shaking My secret Blackening Powder onto the prepped chicken.
Put ceramic serving platter into oven to heat up
Then basting the chicken with a brush with the sauce mixture.
Quickly add chicken to grilling surface and baste a second time.
Cook chicken as you see fit while turning and basting occasionally, but be careful not to overcook the chicken or it will be dry.
Place fully cooked chicken on seasoned serving platter, carry to table and place on creative table placement piece. Serve with slightly under room temperature ranch or blue cheese dressing.
Hope you find this recipe as enjoyable as my family does. As you are making it, it may seem as if this is way to hot and spicy for kids, but I have found this to be the opposite.
Enjoy,
Chris