Whiskey chicken

Sometimes in the cold barren wastelands you want something extra to warm up the Yeti in you. Sometimes you want vegetarian chili (to be posted later). Perhaps you want some French Onion Tart (again, to be posted later). Or maybe you want some chicken. With rice. And booze. Boozy chicken with rice. Mmmm, sounds warming. Here is how I make my boozy whiskey chicken. It's got the Yeti stamp of approval. This can also be an appetizer if you stick toothpicks in the chicken and put them on a plate for individual consumption. Eating kind of consumption, not the other kind. And watch out for the snowdogs on this one. They like the booze.

Whiskey Chicken

Prepare 1 batch of your favorite rice. I use that long grain white rice recipe that I posted back in October. I'd prepare it while the chicken is marinating.

For the chicken:
3-4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cleaned of any tendons or fat, clean and patted dry
3-4 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, also cleaned of any tendons or fat, clean and patted dry

For the marinade:
1 1/2 ounces of good whiskey
2 tablespoons of oil, canola or corn or peanut, not olive oil
1 tablespoon of rice wine or apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon of garlic powder or 2 cloves of crushed garlic
1 tablespoon soy sauce
about 1/4 cup of chopped chives, optional

Additional ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons of canola or other high smoke point oil
1 teaspoon of honey

Mix the ingredients for the marinade in a leak-proof container that is big enough for all the chicken. I use a gallon size zip top bag. Cut the chicken up into about 1 inch cubes. Place the chicken in the marinade for about 1 hour, turning over or stirring after 30 minutes to make sure the chicken has good contact with the marinade. Do not marinade more than one hour or the flavors in the chicken will be too strong and slightly bitter.

Now is a good time to make the rice. Not later, as the chicken will cook really quickly. Also why don't you have some nice steamed veggies? Like some broccoli or green beans? Those would go well with this. Or maybe sautéed and tossed with some oil, soy sauce, a pinch of sugar, and a pinch of sesame seeds. Mmm, wouldn't that be nice?

Heat up one and a half tablespoons of oil in a heavy bottomed pan or a wok over high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, drain, and pat dry. Discard the remaining marinade. Carefully add the chicken to the hot oil and toss frequently. The chicken will express some liquid during cooking. Drain and reserve this expressed liquid for the final sauce. Keep stirring or tossing the chicken until the chicken is fully cooked and browned nicely. Now is the time to add the reserved liquid and honey and stir through, making sure the liquid reaches a full boil. Remove from heat and serve.

Serves 2-3 Yetis with rice and veggies, or 6-8 people with the same side dishes.