There’s something about Ponzu sauce that is kind of amazing. This Japanese tangy soy-citrus blend sauce is not just be used for traditional Asian dishes. It can be used to add flavor to everything from chicken to steak and even vegetables. It is not just a dipping sauce it can be used as a marinade which is precisely what I did last night to create this easy dish. Ponzu sauce takes everyday ingredients and takes them to the next level. You would think that you would have to go to an Asian market to find this, but I was pleasantly surprised to find two varieties of this sauce – lemon and lime at my local grocery store. If you’re not able to find it at your local grocery store, you can pretty much make the sauce in from scratch. Click here for the recipe. Below is my recipe for Ponzu Chicken with Tri-Color Rosemary Garlic Potatoes and French Beans.
Serves 2
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees
Here’s what you’ll need:
Ponzu Chicken
2 leg quarters
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons coarsely ground black pepper
2-1/2 teaspoons fine sea salt
12 cloves of garlic
2 shallots; thinly sliced
1/2 cup Kikkoman Lemon Ponzu Sauce
Prep: Divide leg quarters and place into a large bowl. In a small bowl whisk salt, pepper garlic and olive oil. Pour over chicken and toss. Cover bowl and allow to marinate for 30 minutes tossing every 10 minutes to ensure flavors penetrate chicken. (Tip: poke small holes into chicken meat to aid with absorption of marinade.) Place into 9 x 12 Pyrex dish, cover with foil and place in oven. Set a timer for 35 minutes. Baste every 10 to 15 minutes. After timer has gone off, remove from oven and place chicken on an unheated grill pan – skin side down on stove. Turn heat on and grill 6 minutes on each side occasionally basting with left over marinade from baking. Return chicken to Pyrex dish and turn on broiler. Broil for 3-5 minutes basting with marinade to keep skin moist.
DO NOT WASH THE GRILL PAN YET. You will need to use the charred seasoning to help caramelize your shallots. Once shallots have caramelized, remove and set aside.
Rosemary Garlic Potatoes
1 lb. tri-color potatoes
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 rosemary sprigs
6 cloves of garlic; crushed
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/2 packet of Lipton® Recipe Secrets Golden Onion Soup and Dip Mix
Prep: Cube potatoes and place into a 9 x 9 Pyrex dish. Combine olive oil, rosemary, garlic and Lipton ®Recipe Secrets Golden Onion Soup and Dip Mix and whisk together. Add mixture to potatoes and toss.
Bake covered with foil for 20 minutes. Remove foil and allow to crisp for an additional 15 minutes. Remove from oven and allow to rest for five minutes before plating.
French Green beans
4 oz. french green beans
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
zest of 1 lemon
1/2 teaspoon of freshly squeezed lemon juice
3 cloves of garlic; crushed
In a medium sized skillet add olive oil and garlic. Once garlic begins to sizzle add green beans and toss. Allow green beans to fully cook but are still firm to retain crunch. Add lemon juice and lemon zest and toss. Plate immediately.
Okay, you’re mouth is watering just a little. The tri-color potatoes make for a really nice presentation. Look out for other recipes in the upcoming weeks. Until next time, always remember to SEE. TOUCH. TASTE.