Who needs fried chicken?

I heard on the radio the other day that chicken-lovers in Gaza will pay to have a courier sneak through secret underground tunnels into Egypt, the nearest location with a KFC restaurant, and return with bags of greasy fried chicken. Several things are apparent from this - firstly, unfortunately the assumption that KFC is tasty has spread worldwide with epidemic proportions. Since when did KFC embody the pinnacle of chicken's tastiness? The Colonel would be proud. Secondly, people spend their money on crazy things.

We eat a lot of chicken in my house. At one point in my life, I actually gave up eating red meat, but when the kids came along, I fell off that bandwagon, in the desire to expose them to different meats, protein, iron and the like. I have since discovered so many delicious recipes incorporating beef and pork that I couldn't possibly give up red mean (curse you, cooking addiction!). But we still eat more white meat than red in this house, and I am always keen to discover different chicken recipes.

I found this recipe in Rachael Ray's Everyday magazine, something I often pick up at the checkout (yes, I am the person they aim for when they put the magazines there, and yes, my kids are the reason they put the candy there too). I liked the look of this one, because I am always trying to find more dishes to cook on the grill - being a Brit, I wasn't exactly raised on barbecued meals. And I admit, I was also sucked in by the claim that it cost less than $3 per serving, which even though my kids eat more than one serving each on a bad day, let alone a good day, makes it way cheaper than KFC (I did have to multiply the recipe below by 1 1/2 to serve my family of 5).

Buttermilk Chicken Kebabs with Chopped Salad
Serves 4

2/3 cup buttermilk
3 TBSP olive oil
1 TBSP chopped fresh thyme
zest of one lemon, plus 3 TBSP of juice
salt and pepper
1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs/breasts, cut into 1 1/2" pieces
1 head romaine lettuce, cut into 1" pieces
1 large hothouse cucumber, chopped
1/2 small red onion
1 cup red grapes, halved

1. Preheat grill to medium high
2. In a small bowl, mix together buttermilk, oil, thyme, lemon zest and juice.
3. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with half of the buttermilk mixture.
4. Thread chicken on to 8 skewers.
5. Grill, turning frequently, until cooked through and browned in spots (13-15 minutes)

 

6. In a large bowl, toss romaine, cucumber, onion and grapes with remaining buttermilk mixture. Season and serve with kebabs.