Lemon Jalapeno Chicken

Some restaurant dishes just stick with you. I always marvel at the flavor combinations that the pros come up with and it doesn't have to be fancy to be memorable. Fish Bar in Chicago has this tasty basket of fried onions, lemons (including peel) and jalapenos. Holy yum... best $4 appetizer I've ever had. Cruel reality is, I don't live there any more, so I decided to borrow from the flavors to mix up grilled chicken.

Honey chars the skin and counters jalapeno heat with sticky sweetness. Grilled onions and lemon lend bitter depth. Not your average grilled chicken.

Another cruel reality... I'm losing natural daylight during dinnertime and have yet to "figure out" my new artificial light situation. Thanks for you patience. Excuse the shiny-ness.

Lemon Jalapeno Chicken

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

Salt and pepper

1 chicken, quartered

2 lemons

4 jalapenos, 2 sliced and 2 left whole

2 onions, sliced

In a small bowl, combine olive oil, honey, cider vinegar, juice and zest of one lemon and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place chicken in a large freezer bag, along with two sliced jalapenos. Pour marinade over chicken and seal bag. Allow chicken to marinate for a few hours or overnight.

Remove chicken from fridge about 30 minutes before grilling. Discard marinade and sliced jalapenos. 

Preheat grill and then grill chicken over direct high heat. Skin will blacken (it's just fine). A few minutes before chicken finishes, grill onion slices, two remaining jalapenos and halves of remaining lemon. Remove chicken from grill when internal temperature reaches 165 degrees. Allow chicken to rest and squeeze grilled lemon over chicken while it's resting. 

Enjoy chicken with sliced onion and charred jalapenos...they will be hot!