What’s Cooking in Kelli’s Kitchen: Rick Martinez’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Quick Pickles

It’s been a successful two weeks in Kelli’s Kitchen. Every night, Neil finished his dinner and showered me with compliments — I guess I’ll keep him. Just yesterday, he commented on how much he was enjoying the flavor combinations from our recent dinners — specifically, they were hot, sweet, salty and sour all wrapped into one tasty package. I didn’t do it intentionally, but he was right — one thing all of our dinners had in common was that they touched all of the major tastes our tongues can detect (there was even some umami mixed in there).

Here’s a recipe that hits every bud on your tongue:

Rick Martinez’s Sweet & Spicy BBQ Chicken Sandwich with Quick Pickles

Pickles

• 1 hothouse cucumber (or a handful of the little cukes Safeway has had these last few weeks), sliced into half-moons or equivalent
• ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar (plus extra as needed)
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 3–4 serrano chiles (or 1–2 jalapeños), thinly sliced
• 1 tablespoon toasted white sesame seeds

Sandwich

• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar
• ⅓ cup sambal oelek (chili garlic sauce)
• ¼ cup fish sauce
• ¼ cup Sriracha
• 4 garlic cloves, grated
• 3 tablespoons white miso (I substituted dark miso due to Fallon availability)
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 1 package boneless, skinless chicken thighs
• 4 sesame seed buns, toasted
• 2 scallions, thinly sliced
• 1 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems

Directions

1. In a small bowl, toss the cucumbers with a hearty pinch of salt; let sit 10 minutes and squeeze to expel excess water. In another small bowl, whisk together vinegar, sugar, 2 teaspoons kosher salt and 4 tablespoons water. Add cucumber and chiles to the brine and let sit at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour to pickle. Once brined and ready to serve, add the sesame seeds and mix well.
2. Prepare grill for medium-high heat. In a large saucepan, whisk together the dark brown sugar, vinegar, sambal, fish sauce, Sriracha, garlic, miso and ginger. Add the chicken and toss to coat. Transfer chicken to a plate and let sit until ready to grill (up to 30 minutes; if longer, refrigerate).
3. Transfer the saucepan with the marinade to the stove and bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer until reduced by half (about 1 cup).
4. Grill or smoke chicken, turning and basting often with reduced marinade, until cooked through. Toast buns on both sides.
5. To assemble: (Optional — smear bun with mayo.) Place one chicken thigh on the bottom bun. Top with pickles, sliced scallion and cilantro. Finish with the top bun and serve.

And here’s a surprisingly easy dessert recipe that will earn you “ooohhs” and “aaaahhs”:

Vanilla, Cinnamon and Lime Panna Cotta

Adapted from Serious Eats

Ingredients

• 1 cup whole milk, divided
• 2 envelopes unflavored gelatin
• 2 ½ cups heavy cream
• ½ cup sugar
• ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
• 1 vanilla bean, split and scraped
• 1 5-inch stick of Ceylon or Mexican cinnamon
• 1 lime, zested
• Toasted almond slivers for garnish (optional)

Directions

1. In a small bowl, combine ½ cup of the milk with the gelatin. Stir to combine and let sit while heating the remaining milk, cream, sugar and salt to a simmer. Add vanilla, cinnamon and lime zest, and cook at a bare simmer for 10–12 minutes.
2. Remove from heat and stir in the milk-gelatin mixture until fully combined. Pour through a fine strainer into six 8-ounce ramekins (or teacups or cocktail glasses). Alternatively, use eight 6-ounce serving dishes. Chill for 4 hours, or until set. (To be safe, I always make panna cotta the day before serving.)
3. To serve — if you want to go fancy, run a thin knife along the sides of the ramekin to loosen the panna cotta and invert onto a serving plate. Tap several times until it releases. Garnish, if desired, with toasted slivered almonds. You can also serve the panna cotta in the ramekin or teacup.