Royal Chicken In Yogurt Food

YOGURT MARINATED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a mixing bowl whisk together yogurt, olive oil, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon, salt, pepper and cilantro.
• Place chicken in a gallon size resealable freezer bag. Pour yogurt marinade over chicken.
• Seal bag while pressing excess air out. Rub marinade evenly over chicken.
• Let rest in fridge at least 2 hours (or up to 8 hours for breasts, 24 hours for thighs).
• Preheat a gas grill to 425 degrees. Clean grill grates and lightly brush with oil (using a balled up oiled paper towel and long tongs).
• Grill chicken until cooked through (165 on an instant read thermometer in center of thickest portion) about 5 to 7 minutes per side.

ROYAL CHICKEN COOKED IN YOGURT

Steps:

• Put the yogurt into a bowl. Beat it lightly until it is smooth and creamy. Add 1/2 teaspoon of the salt, some black pepper, the ground cumin, ground coriander, cayenne, and cilantro. Mix and set aside.
• Using the remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, season the chicken pieces on both sides and sprinkle on some freshly ground black pepper.
• Put the oil in a wide, preferably nonstick pan and set over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, put in the cardamom pods, cloves, cinnamon, and bay leaves. Stir once and put in some of the chicken pieces, only as many as the pan will hold easily in a single layer. Brown on both sides and remove to a large bowl. Brown all the chicken pieces this way and transfer them to the bowl. Put the almonds and raisins into the same hot oil. Stir quickly. The almonds should turn golden and the raisins should plump up, which will happen very fast. Then put the chicken and its accumulated juices back into the pan. Add the seasoned yogurt. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer. Cover, turn the heat to low, and simmer gently for 20 minutes, stirring once or twice during this time. Remove the cover, turn the heat up a bit, and reduce the sauce until it is thick and just clings to the chicken pieces. Turn the chicken pieces over gently as you do this.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH YOGURT MARINADE

Steps:

• In a large bowl, combine the yogurt, garlic, oregano, thyme, olive oil, salt and pepper. Zest the lemon over the bowl, reserving the rest of the lemon for serving. Whisk until smooth.
• Add the chicken thighs, toss to coat, then cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours, or up to 24. Remove chicken from the refrigerator 30 minutes before cooking.
• If using a grill, clean and oil the grates. Set the grill to medium-high or heat a grill pan slicked with olive oil on the stovetop over medium-high. Grill the chicken for 6 to 8 minutes on each side (depending on the thickness of the thighs), covering the grill halfway through if necessary to retain heat, until cooked through.
• Transfer the chicken thighs to a platter and squeeze half the lemon over them. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and parsley, and serve with lemon wedges on the side if desired.

YOGURT-BRAISED CHICKEN LEGS WITH GARLIC AND GINGER

Steps:

• Generously season chicken legs all over with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a medium Dutch oven over medium. Arrange chicken legs in pot skin side down (you want them to fit snugly) and cook, lifting up once or twice to let hot fat run underneath, until skin is golden brown and crisp, 10-15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate, placing skin side up.
• Reduce heat to medium-low and add head of garlic, cut sides down, and ginger to pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until ginger is starting to brown and curl around the edges and garlic is golden, about 4 minutes. Add coriander, cumin, and red pepper flakes and cook, stirring often, until spices are fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in turmeric followed by 2 cups yogurt and mix until smooth; season with salt.
• Nestle legs back into pot, skin side up, in a single layer and add water just until legs are almost submerged with skin barely peeking out. Bring to a very gentle simmer, adjusting heat if needed, and cook, uncovered, until meat is very tender and just about falling off the bone, 75-90 minutes (the yogurt will separate and look curdled, which is fine). Let cool 10 minutes.
• Meanwhile, finely grate remaining garlic clove into a small bowl. Add remaining 1 cup yogurt and stir to combine; season with salt and pepper.
• Smear yogurt mixture across a platter and scatter chickpeas over. Carefully transfer chicken legs to platter. Using a large spoon or small ladle, skim off bright yellow fat that has collected on surface of braising liquid and drizzle all over platter (it's okay if some rogue spices make it onto platter). Top with scallions and mint, then squeeze lime wedges over.

SPICY YOGURT CHICKEN

Steps:

• With a sharp knife, make a few slashes in each drumstick. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl, season to taste. Add the drumsticks, rubbing the mixture well into the meat. If you have time, cover and chill for 30 mins.
• Remove the drumsticks from the marinade, shaking off the excess. Cook them on the barbecue for 20-25 mins, turning occasionally, until cooked through.