Orange Honey Grilled Chicken Skewers with Ginger Lime Couscous

Every couple of months, some friends and I gather together for a cook-off of sorts, which we call "Cast Iron Chef Seattle."  It's our spin on the classic Iron Chef.  The theme is decided by the previous winner, and there are no restrictions other than the dish cooked must feature the "theme."  Sometimes the theme revolves around an ingredient, other times it's a style of cooking or a method of preparation. 

Some of the food prepared for yesterday's Cast Iron Chef Seattle, Battle: Citrus

Yesterday it was Battle: Citrus.  Now I really love to bake and make a killer lemon meringue pie, but I was determined to cook a savory dish.  I kept going back and forth in my mind, struggling to settle on what I could make.  Finally it popped in to my mind: orange honey grilled chicken on a bed of ginger lime couscous.   I decided a more summer-friendly way of prepping the chicken would be to put in on skewers, rather than grilling whole drumsticks or wings.  It's much less messy, and still good finger food for an outdoor gathering.

Me with my trophy

I guess the dish went over well.  I ended up taking first place, which was a nice surprise considering how easy this meal is to make and how I honestly didn't spend a whole lot of time planning it!  While it doesn't take much actual time in the kitchen, the prep time is greater as you're going to want to let your chicken marinate in the fridge for at least an hour before grilling.  I opted to prepare mine the night before, since I knew I had a lot going on the next day and wanted to cut back on the amount of time I'd be in the kitchen.  There are some extra perks to this method.  Marinating the chicken over night gives more time for the flavors from the spice rub to penetrate deep in to the chicken. It also allows the chicken to become extremely tender, which adds a level of texture to the meat, as once it's grilled, it will become a little tougher and crispier on the exterior.

The spice rub on this chicken is one I use regularly when I want my chicken a little sweeter.  It draws from Caribbean jerk influences, Eastern flavors, and then I throw in brown sugar for good measure.  Brown sugar adds a wonderful subtle sweetness to the meat, but more importantly is a natural meat tenderizer.  Keep this in mind the next time you've got a tough cut of beef or pork.  I also threw in the zest of one orange.  Once the chicken was rinsed, patted dry, and cut, I tossed it in a shallow bowl and generously rubbed in the mixed-up spices before tossing the chicken in a shallow baking dish and adding the juices for my marinade.  **It's important to rinse and pat dry your chicken prior to adding the rub.  You want to remove that slimy layer of chicken juice.  The rub will better adhere to the meat and the flavors will be more powerful.**

If you are grilling your chicken that day, make sure that you place your bamboo skewers in a glass of water and allow them to soak for at least an hour.  The timing is great if you're only going to marinade your meat for the minimum hour.  **Soaking the skewers keeps them from burning once they're on the grill.**  Now I chose to keep my skewers simple and hors d'oeuvres-sized, so I only put three pieces on each skewer, which I trimmed down to about 7 inches in length.  These would be really delicious if you leave the skewers full-size and alternate bits of red onion, mushrooms, and bell pepper between the chicken.  This would then function as an entree.

The couscous can be prepared in less than ten minutes.  You can begin chopping your ingredients while your grill heats, and the grain itself takes only 3-5 minutes to cook.  It is equally good served warm, cold, or at room temperature, so feel free to make this in advance or after the skewers are off of the grill.  It's all a matter of comfort and preference. 

I'm very happy with the flavor pairings of this meal, and hope you will be too.  The sweet, chewy chicken is balanced by the zest and crunch of the couscous.  Happy cooking!

Ingredients:

For the Chicken:

• 1 lb. boneless skinless chicken breast, cut in to 1" thick pieces
• 1 tsp. salt
• 1 tsp. black pepper
• 1 1/2 tsp. paprika
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/2 tsp. cumin
• 1/2 tsp. chili powder
• 1/4 tsp. ground mustard
• 1/2 tsp. ground ginger
• 3 tbsp. brown sugar
• 1 tbsp. olive oil
• 1 1/2 tbsp. tequila
• 1 1/2 oranges, juiced and zested
• 1/4 cup honey
• Bamboo wood skewers

For the Couscous:

• 2 tsp. olive oil
• 3/4 cup Walla Walla or other sweet onion, diced
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, diced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 tbsp. ginger, minced
• 1 lime, juiced and zested
• 1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 1/4 tsp. salt
• 1/4 tsp. black pepper
• 1/2 tsp. curry powder
• 1/4 tsp. cumin
• 1 cup couscous
• 1/2 cup scallions, chopped
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted

Directions:

1. Rinse chicken and pat dry with paper towels.  On a plastic cutting board, cut the chicken in to 1" thick pieces.  Set aside.

1. In a large, shallow bowl, combine the salt, pepper, and other spices along with the brown sugar and zest from 1 orange. Mix with finger tips until well combined.  Toss pieces of chicken in to the bowl and rub in the spices until the chicken is well-coated on all sides.  Place in a shallow baking dish.  Juice the 1 zested orange and pour evenly over the spice-rubbed chicken.  Drizzle the olive oil and tequila over the chicken.  Cover tightly in plastic wrap and place in the refrigerator for at least one hour, up to overnight.

1. One hour before removing the chicken from the refrigerator, trim the skewers down to about 7" in length. Place the skewers in a tall glass of water to soak.  Heat grill to high heat before removing the chicken from the refrigerator.  Place 3 pieces of chicken on each of the skewers.  **See italicized note above for alternate preparation.** In a small bowl, add the zest and juice of half an orange, along with 1/4 cup of warmed honey.  Whisk until well combined.  Place the chicken on the grill, turning once the underside has grill marks.  With a basting brush, brush the honey glaze on only the cooked side of the chicken.  Continue rotating the chicken as it cooks, so that all sides may be evenly basted with the honey glaze. Remove chicken from heat on a clean plate and set aside.

1. In a large frying pan, heat the olive oil over medium heat.  Add in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, and ginger until tender and fragrant, about 5 minutes.  Add the lime juice, chicken broth, salt, pepper, curry, and cumin.  Stir once and cover with a lid until broth begins to simmer.  Add in the couscous and cook for 3-5 minutes, until broth is absorbed and couscous is tender.  Remove from heat and fluff with fork or slotted spoon.  Add in the lime zest, scallions and almonds, and continue to fluff until well combined.  Transfer to a large serving bowl.

1. Serve the couscous on a small plate and top with one or two of the mini-skewers, or on a large plate with a large skewer.  The couscous is good at whatever temperature, but the chicken is best warm or right off the grill.  Enjoy!