Spicy Tea Smoked Chicken Food

TEA SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Toast the Szechuan peppercorns in a dry skillet until fragrant, about 4 minutes. Cool slightly, and then crush in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle with the salt and five-spice powder until very fine. Rub seasoned salt all over the chicken thighs. Place in a bowl, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or preferably overnight.
• Bring the chicken to room temperature about 30 minutes before cooking.
• Line the bottom of a wok, skillet or heavy pot with a double layer of aluminum foil. Mix the rice, tea and brown sugar together and mound on the foil. Set a steamer on top, and evenly space the chicken on the rack. Cover and cook over high heat. Hot smoke the chicken until smokey-brown colored and cooked through, about 12 minutes.
• While the chicken cooks, whisk the Shao-sing wine or sherry, soy, ginger, and sesame together in a small saucepan. Bring to boil over high heat, remove from heat and steep for 5 minutes. Brush over cooked chicken.
• To serve: Dice the chicken into very small pieces. Toss with the scallions and peanuts in a medium bowl. Cut the lettuce leaves into 40 squares or triangular scoops. Place a drop of Sriracha on top of each lettuce cup, and top with about 2 teaspoons of the diced chicken. Squeeze lime juice over the top, and drizzle the remaining soy-ginger sauce over the chicken. Serve.

SIXTEEN SPICE SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine all spices in a bowl. Rub the entire chicken with the spice rub, including the cavity, and set aside while you prepare the grill.
• Set up a charcoal grill for indirect grilling. Throw the soaked wood chips on the hot coals. Place the cover on the grill and adjust the vents holes on the top and bottom to obtain the desired temperature (in this case it should be about 350 degrees F).
• Place the chicken on the rack of the grill opposite the coals and smoke until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 160 degrees F, using an instant-read thermometer, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours. Remove from the grill, tent loosely with foil, and let rest 10 minutes before carving.

TEA SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Wash the chicken and pat dry inside and out with paper towels. Combine Szechwan peppercorns, salt, and fivespice powder in a small bowl. Rub the seasonings into the outside and inside cavity of the bird. Place the chicken in a large bowl, cover, and refrigerate 8 hours or overnight.
• Fill the lower part of a steamer with enough water to come within an inch of the cooking rack. Bring the water to a rolling boil, place the chicken on the rack, and cover the steamer. Steam the chicken for 45 minutes, keeping the water at a boil and replenishing it as it boils away.
• Line a large wok or a heavy Dutch oven with tightfitting lid with heavyduty aluminum foil.
• Combine the smoking mixture ingredients and spread over the foil in the bottom of the pot. Turn the heat under the pot to high and place a rack about 3 inches above the smoking mixture so that the chicken does not touch it. Place the chicken on the rack, breast side up. Line the inside of the lid with more foil, leaving an excess of 3 inches around the lid. Cover the pot tightly and crimp the foil down so the lid fits securely and smoke doesn't escape.
• After you detect smoke, smoke the chicken for 20 to 25 minutes. Turn off the heat and let the smoke subside, about 5 minutes. The chicken should be a rich, golden brown on the outside.
• Lift out the smoked chicken and transfer to a cutting board. Immediately brush the sesame oil lightly over the outside. Allow chicken to cool, about 10 minutes. To serve, cut off the wings and legs. Divide the body of the chicken in half lengthwise by cutting through the breast and backbone. Lay the halves flat on the cutting board, skinside up, and use a cleaver to chop through each half, bones and all, into 3 to 4 equal pieces. Chop the wings and legs into pieces as well. Arrange the chicken pieces on a large platter, and garnish with the scallion brushes.

TEA-SMOKED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a dry, small, heavy skillet toast peppercorns over moderate heat, shaking skillet, 5 minutes. Cool peppercorns and with a mortar and pestle or in an electric coffee/spice grinder coarsely grind. In a small bowl stir together peppercorns and salt.
• Pat chicken dry and rub inside and out with peppercorn mixture. Transfer chicken, breast side up, to a steamer and steam over boiling water, covered, 25 minutes, or until chicken is just cooked through.
• While chicken is steaming, line bottom and lid of a wok with heavy-duty foil. In wok stir together loose tea and brown sugar until combined well.
• Arrange a metal rack about 2 inches above tea mixture and transfer chicken, breast side up, to rack in wok. Heat wok, covered, over moderately high heat until wisps of smoke begin to appear, 2 to 3 minutes, and smoke chicken, covered, 6 minutes. Turn chicken over and smoke, covered, 6 minutes more. Remove wok from heat and let chicken stand, covered, 15 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a cutting board and brush lightly with oil.

SPICY SMOKED CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• For the Brine:.
• Mix all brine ingredients in a large pot and heat just until the sugar has blended well with the water and other ingredients. Stir often during the heating process. Remove from heat and allow to cool to room temperature, about an hour. Once the brine has cooled, place chicken in a container and pour the brine mixture until the meat is completely covered. Place in the refrigerator for at least two hours or more, allowing the brine to soak into the meat. Keep in mind that the brine will make the meat saltier, so be careful not to over-brine. Remove the chicken from the brine and lightly rinse with cool water. Pat the chicken as dry as possible with a paper towel, and place on a cookie sheet for the dry rub preparation.
• Prepare your smoker for indirect heat at 250 degrees and soak 2 cups of wood smoking chips (I prefer Apple wood) in water for at least a half hour. While the smoker is rising to temperature and the wood chips are soaking, prepare to apply the dry rub.
• First, brush on a light coating of olive oil onto both sides of the chicken. Next, apply the dry rub to the meat, carefully sprinkling some of the rub under the skin when possible. Remove the smoking chips from the water and pat dry with a towel. Add smoking chips to smoker. Place a drip pan under the surface of where the chicken will be placed and add 2 cups of water or apple juice to the drip pan. Place the chicken on the cooking surface and close the lid. Remember to cook on indirect heat, not directly over the heat source. Carefully maintain temperature between 250-275 degrees for 1 hour and 30minutes, to 1 hour and 45 minutes.
• For the Sauce:.
• Mix all sauce ingredients in a small pot and bring to a light boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and allow to cool. Brush on a small amount of sauce during the final ½ hour of smoking and allow the chicken to finish cooking.
• After smoking at a temperature of 250-275 degrees for 1 ½ hours check the meat for doneness, 170 degrees is a good final temperature. Remove from heat and allow to rest for 10 minutes before serving. Serve with additional sauce on the side. Enjoy!