This recipe comes from Lisa's "Panning the Globe" blog, and full credit goes to her.

The timing of my discovery of this recipe was most fortuitous. I had recently ordered some Aleppo pepper, based on Brook's enthusiastic accounts of it; when it arrived, I sampled a bit of it, and was immediately impressed. Even better, The Beautiful Mrs. Tas found that this pepper is "mild" enough for her to enjoy in moderation, as well.

With this serendipitous development, I eagerly looked for a few opportunities that would allow me to explore this pepper; it wasn't more than a couple of days later when Lisa's blog post appeared in my inbox, highlighting Turkish cuisine. I saw this recipe, and knew that it would only be a matter of time before we tired it.

Sure enough, we made this for supper last night, and enjoyed it very much! The yogurt does an amazing job of keeping the chicken moist and tender. The combination of the Aleppo pepper and the lemons is simply outstanding, resulting in a tangy, lively sauce.

I highly recommend this recipe, especially for those who want to try something a little different. We broiled ours in the oven, but I would very much suggest, especially this time of year, preparing this on the grill over charcoal, wood or even gas. Something about the flavor profile just begs for the smoky infusion that only fire can provide....

Without further ado, here it is:

quote:

Aleppo Pepper Chicken

Prep time
10 mins

Cook time
12 mins

Total time
22 mins

Serves: 6-8


Ingredients

3 tablespoons Aleppo pepper (crushed or flakes)*
2 cups plain whole-milk Greek-style yogurt (16 ounces)
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10-12 garlic cloves, flattened and skins removed
2 unpeeled lemons, sliced into thin rounds.
4 pounds skinless boneless chicken thighs

*If you have no access to Aleppo pepper, you can use Maras Pepper, or substitute 4 teaspoons dried crushed red pepper plus 4 teaspoons Hungarian sweet paprika.

1. In a large bowl combine the 3 tablespoons Aleppo pepper with 2 tablespoons warm water. Stir and let sit for 5 minutes for the water to be absorbed. (if using red pepper flakes and paprika, combine 4 teaspoons of each in the bowl with 4 tablespoons warm water)

2. Add the next six ingredients to the bowl: Yogurt, oil, vinegar, tomato paste, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly to combine.

3. Next mix in the garlic and lemon slices. Add the chicken and stir to fully combine all ingredients.

4. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and chill for at least an hour (and up to a day)

5. Preheat the barbecue to medium-high heat. Rub oil over the grates. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Grill the chicken about 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through.

6. Serve with grilled lemons and garlic. Enjoy!

http://www.panningtheglobe.com...eppo-pepper-chicken/

If you try this, let me know what you think - and please do visit Lisa's blog, in order to post some feedback there, as well.

Enjoy!

Ron

Tas

Your comments without photos this close to dinner time is torture.

Thanks, Taz

Hi, guys - and thanks for the comments.

Unfortunately, no photos of this...my son made it while we were on our way home from work. It sure tasted great, though!

If you follow the link at the beginning, you'll see Lisa's photos, which are way better than any I could take.

tried it yesterday and was very good

I'd never heard of Aleppo peppers until this blurb forced me to order a pound or so yesterday.

Gato - you will enjoy this pepper very much, I think.

Butch - glad you liked it...it is a good one for sure!

I went back and looked at order:

TWO pounds of Aleppo pepper, (cheaper that way) and

ONE pound of Marash pepper, which is supposed to be different, but similar to Aleppo but grown in Turkey.

We should be mild peppered up for a while.

BTW, I've never done business with this company before, but Olivenation has a bunch of rare/odd food products and were pretty reasonable on the peppers compared to some. 2 pounds Aleppo for $16.95 for example. Free shipping with $50 order.

Sounds like some darn good deals, there.

On another pepper note, if you get the chance, you might find this from South America to be of interest: Merquén.

Here's a little blurb on it:

quote:

Merquén or merkén is a centuries old traditional seasoning used by the native Mapuches in the Araucanía Region of Chile. This condiment is made of dried goats horn pepper (cacho de cabra) which is dried, smoked and ground together with salt, coriander seed and sometimes cumin or oregano. Merquén is a seemingly all purpose blend that adds a wonderful smokiness with a bit of heat to everything it is added to.

Goats horn chile peppers are illegal to import into the US so American spice shops are forced to contrive approximations of the flavor profile by generally adding smoked paprika to the mix. It is not illegal to grow goats horn peppers here.

A friend sent some to me and wow...it is some interesting and complex stuff. The smokiness is the part I like best but - in all honesty - the spices underneath it really make it sing. It's pretty warm, but nearly as much as I thought it would be; it might sound funny, but it is a nice, comfortable warmth. It fits right in with the flavor profile.

IF you want to read more about it, here's the link:

http://foodsoftheworld.activeb...erqun_topic4699.html

There's a link to a source there, as well, if you want to get some and give it a try.

WTH, I ordered a pound from Savory Spice.

FWIW, ebay seller has 6 1/2 oz. bags of real deal from Chile, but w/shipping is $17.50.

Judging by reviews I'll stick with SS.

Marinating above yard bird recipe as I write.

Ok, we had the chicken. Good, but not great. I knew my tastes would not be those of the average pepper user, so, not knowing how hot the Aleppo peppers were, I increased the "dosage" by 1/3 to 4 T. Aleppo peppers. Decent flavor, but next time I'm going to use 8 T. and at least one T. cayenne.

That should spice it up a bit.

But, I did like it and will cook. actually help my wife cook, a tweaked version again.

BTW, there is a jar of about 10 oz Merquen chile powder, the real deal on ebay for $38.46 with free shipping. Based on price diff. I will stick with my Savory Spice order, at least until I try it out.

Tas, thanks to the link with Lis'a blog. Amazing!

Howdy, guys -

Sorry for my absence, but I've been having some good fun; along with my bacon project and brewing some beer, I've also been making sauerkraut. I'll post on that as soon as I can.

Gato - I got to thinking that the Aleppo pepper might be a little mild for a true chile-head, but it's got a lot of good flavor in there, as well. I think your modifications sound pretty good for your tastes. Also, as you probably know, this basic method can be switched up and around to work in a lot of ways. Have fund with it!

Bill - glad you like Lisa's blog! Check it out and cook some stuff!