Grilled chicken with yogurt, hot pepper and garlic

My gratitude to Jenn for sharing her first preparation from her new book, “Planet Barbecue”. (You can see her post dated yesterday, July 21.) Inevitably I made a few modifications. I cheated by using powdered garlic instead of fresh. Also, I was using chicken legs and thighs instead of skinless breasts. Mine was skin-on. The original called for some lemon slices. Turned out I didn’t have a lemon.

This is a superb recipe. The flavor is indescribable – bold, assertive, BAM!

Grilled chicken with yogurt, hot pepper and garlic

Ingredients:

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes plus 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

1 cup Greek plain yogurt

3 Tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

2 Tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 Tablespoons tomato paste

salt and pepper

1 tsp garlic powder

2 chicken legs, 2 chicken thighs

Directions:Make 2 slits in each chicken piece in the meatiest parts.

Place red pepper flakes and paprika in a small bowl. Add 1 tablespoon of warm water, stir, and let stand until a thick paste forms, about 5 minutes.

Place the pepper paste in a bowl and add the yogurt, olive oil, vinegar, tomato paste, 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper, and garlic; whisk together to mix. Place chicken in a shallow dish and pour marinade over, making sure to turn the chicken to coat both sides. Refrigerate for 1-4 hours. Remove from fridge and allow to come to room temperature (about 60 minutes).

Preheat broiler and place a rack in the second position from the heat element. Place a wire rack on a baking pan and lubricate with cooking spray. Shake off excess marinade and place chicken on wire rack. Place baking pan with chicken under the broiler. Turn the chicken pieces every 5 minutes for a total cooking time of 20 – 25 minutes. For me it took 20, but then the chicken wasn’t icebox cold when I started.