Looking to kick up your grilled chicken?  In their latest book The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ Sauces (Harvard Common Press), Bill and Cheryl Jamison explore the world of sauces, marinades, and rubs with over 225 recipes including this one for a Kung Pow seasoning paste that is sure to get your motor revving!  

In the recipe, Bill and Cheryl use peanut oil to mimic the peanuts generally used in the stir-fry preparation, but you can opt for a neutral vegetable oil if you wish. You can also adjust the amount of chile pow in the dish for your level of tolerance. This one’s best made up for one meal at a time, so the amount is perfect for one plump chicken, whole or in parts.

KUNG POW PASTE FOR CHICKEN

From The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ Sauces

Ingredients

1 tablespoon peanut oil or vegetable oil

1 tablespoon soy sauce

2 teaspoons minced or grated fresh ginger

2 teaspoons Chinese rice wine or dry sherry

2 teaspoons hoisin sauce

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil

1 teaspoon ground dried hot red chile, such as cayenne, or more to taste

Instructions

1.     STIR together all of the ingredients in a small bowl. Use the mixture within a few hours for the best flavor.

2.     RUB the paste generously on poultry, massaging it over and under the skin. Allow the seasoned poultry to sit for about 30 minutes at room temperature prior to cooking.

SPICING TIP

When making up your own idea for pastes, choose an ingredient or two that will allow the mixture to cling to the surface of foods. Here, sticky hoisin sauce is one of those ingredients, and the ginger helps give body to the paste, too. Citrus zest, minced onion, and mustard are other ingredients with clinging power.

Recipe courtesy of The Barbecue Lover’s Big Book of BBQ Sauces. Recipe © 2015 by Bill & Cheryl Jamison and used by permission of The Harvard Common Press