Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs and Thai Garlic Broccoli with Clif Family Rte Blanc

This is one of my husband’s favorite meals. It is a healthy dinner and is another recipe that falls into the category of maximum flavor with minimal effort. The chicken thighs are delicious with a little kick. The amount of spiciness can easily be adjusted with the sriracha for both the chicken and the broccoli. The sriracha can also be added directly to individual dishes once plated if some people like it hotter than others. I prefer to marinate the chicken overnight, though can be marinated just a few hours before. I must also add that this has become my favorite way to enjoy broccoli!


As with my last Thai dish, I am including this disclaimer that I do not know how authentically Thai this recipe is. It is just what we call it at home!

WINE: 2009 Clif Family Rte Blanc (Sauvignon Blanc), Napa
http://www.cliffamilywinery.com/home.php

This is recipe is usually one I make during the week when we are not having wine. However, it was an unusually warm day and both my husband and I were craving some Sauvignon Blanc. I happily opened the Rte Blanc made by the Clif Family Winery. If you recognize the name it is because these are the same people who make the yummy Clif bars. Their small winery is in St. Helena and won my “Best Bang for Your Buck” Award on our trip to Napa. The wines were fantastic, and the prices were awesome. The wine was very yummy with this dinner and quite fruitier than I remember with quite a bit of pear. After dinner, I had a second glass of wine and found it to be more complex as the fruit flavors were balanced with some grass and a vanilla finish. Therefore as much as I enjoyed the wine, I feel I must conclude that the food somewhat overpowered it. My husband and I both feel that a really grassy Sauvignon Blanc such as the Wrath Destruction Level (written about in the Cajun Scallops entry) might pair nicely.

In addition, I think a off- dry Gewürztraminer would be a great accompaniment. I would also like to try a Grenache or Rhone blend such as a GSM (Grenache Syrah Mourvedre) to see how that fairs with these flavors.

To see more about Clif Family Winery and our trip to Napa see my travel blog entry at: Napa-Calistoga: Persian Palaces to Gas Nozzle Wine


RECIPE: Grilled Thai Chicken Thighs
Servings: 2-3

Ingredients:
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh basil
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
• 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic
• 1 tablespoon sriracha
• 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 1/2 tablespoons brown sugar
• 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs

Directions:
1. If you have a blender or food processor, place all ingredients except chicken in blender/processor and blend. You can also finely chop the basil and cilantro and mix the ingredients in a bowl.
2. Place chicken in bowl or bag, add marinade and marinate for several hours or even better overnight.
3. Heat grill to high.
4. Grill chicken for approximately 4 minutes on each side leaving grill open. Each grill seems to operate differently, so adjust cooking times accordingly.

RECIPE: Thai Garlic Broccoli

Ingredients:
• 1 lb broccoli
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1/2 tbsp soy sauce (you can add more if you like)
• 1 tsp. brown sugar
• 1 tsp sriracha
• 1 tbsp Oil (I like to use chili oil, but olive oil, canola is fine)
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• Steamed Jasmine rice (optional)
• 4 oz. Shitake Mushrooms, thinly sliced (optional)

Directions:
1. Cut broccoli into florets
2. Place in microwavable bowl with 1-2 tbsp on water. Cover and microwave for ~3 minutes.
3. Heat oil over medium heat.
4. Add garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
5. While garlic is cooking, stir sugar and fish sauce until sugar is dissolved.
6. Add sriracha and soy sauce to fish sauce/sugar. Mix until sauce is combined.
7. Add sauce to garlic.
8. Drain broccoli if necessary and mix with garlic sauce.
9. OPTIONAL: You can serve this over steamed Jasmine rice if you like.
10. OPTIONAL: Add sliced shitake mushrooms when cooking the garlic and toss it all together when mushrooms are cooked.

Seared Citrus-Ginger-Soy Sea Bass with Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc

My husband loves sea bass, and I wanted to be able to make him a nice sea bass dinner at home. I originally found a citrus-soy steamed sea bass recipe which over time has evolved into the recipe below. The flavors of this are delicate, and they enhance with over-powering the sea bass. I marinate the dish, and then cook the marinade while searing and cooking the fish. The marinade is then drizzled over the fillet. I also love to steam broccoli and pour sauce over that too; it is a delicious combination. Since sea bass can be pricey, this can be used for a sophisticated yet easy special occasion meal. Or you can watch for sea bass to be on sale. Of course, if you make this in lieu of going out to a nice dinner it becomes a lot more affordable. I purchased two 7 oz. sea bass fillets at Whole Foods. Each fillet was roughly 2 inches thick; adjust cooking times for your sea bass based on its thickness. I have also provided instructions as to how to tell when the sea bass is done.


The first time I made this I used half orange juice and half pineapple juice. Since then, I saw the Safeway in my neighborhood sells small cans of Dole pineapple orange juice in the juice aisle. This was a less expensive alternative that I can use just for this recipe without having two open jugs of juice in the fridge.

WINE: 2009 Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc, Rutherford (Napa)
http://www.longmeadowranch.com/
Sauvignon Blanc is an easy pairing with this dish. Like the fish, the Long Meadow Ranch Sauvignon Blanc is delicate which balances nicely with the flavors of the fish. This light and refreshing wine almost has an effervescence when it comes out of the refrigerator. Its grassy and melon notes complement, without competing with the fish.

RECIPE: Seared Citrus-Ginger-Soy Sea Bass
Servings: 2

Ingredients:
• 1 cup pineapple/orange juice or ½ cup pineapple juice and ½ cup orange juice
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp. finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 2 tbsp. sesame oil, divided
• 2 sea bass fillets
• chopped green onion, to taste

Directions:
1. Mix together juice, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, cayenne pepper and one tbsp sesame oil.
2. Add fish and turn to coat all sides.
3. Refrigerate for ~2 hours.
4. Remove fish from refrigerator about 5 minutes before cooking.
5. Heat a cask iron skillet (or normal skillet if you have don’t have cask iron) with one tbsp of sesame oil over medium high heat until skillet sizzles when drops of water are flicked in.
6. Turn broiler on.
7. Swirl oil in skillet if necessary so it spreads. Add fish to skillet. If skin is still on fish, put in pan skin side up. Pour the marinade from fish into a small sauce pot.
8. Bring marinade to a boil. Boil for 2 – 3 minutes then reduce to simmer until fish is done.
9. Cook fish in skillet for a couple minutes or until bottom begins to brown.
10. Slide the skillet into oven under broiler (if your skillet is not oven safe, transfer to a cooking sheet). I leave rack in the second position in oven.
11. Broil 3-4 minutes watching to make sure it does not burn on top or on the bottom. Flip early if it looks like it will burn.
12. Flip the fish over and continue broiling for another couple minutes. If necessary or if desired, turn fillet on its side so it does not burn. This actually works nicely if your fillet is thick to sear the sides as well as top and bottom. Sea bass is done when a toothpick slides in and out of the thickest part without resistance.
13. Plate fish and drizzle sauce over top. Pour remaining sauce into bowl and have available at table.
14. Sprinkle with green onions.

RECIPE: Citrus-Ginger Soy Broccoli

Ingredients:
• One bunch of broccoli
• Cooked marinade used for Sea Bass

Directions:
1. Trim broccoli into florets.
2. After fish goes into oven, steam broccoli in the microwave for 4 minutes.
3. Plate broccoli and fish. Drizzle cooked marinade over broccoli and fish.