The following recipe features a marinade of mojo, the Cuban classic built on a base of olive oil, citrus, and garlic. I like to double the salsa ingredients to have some as a dip for chips or for another dish the next day.
Ingredients
For the marinade:
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 4 garlic cloves, crushed
- 1 jalapeño, seeded and chopped
- 1/4 teaspoon coarse salt
- 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
- 3 tablespoons fresh orange juice
- 2 tablespoons gourmet vinegar
- 3 pounds skinless chicken thighs
For the salsa:
- 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 2 tablespoons gourmet vinegar
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 2 teaspoons orange zest
- 2 teaspoons lime zest
- 1 teaspoon honey
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 4 tablespoons butter, cubed
- 2 ripe mangos, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 2 ripe avocados, peeled, pitted, and diced
- 3 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Step 1
Marinate the chicken: In a food processor, pulse the cumin, garlic, jalapeño, and salt into a paste, and then drizzle in the olive oil, the juices, and vinegar. Place the chicken in a large bowl, pour in the marinade, rotate it to distribute the marinade, and cover. Refrigerate for 3 hours or overnight.
Step 2
An hour before you’re ready to grill the chicken, prepare the salsa. In a medium saucepan, whisk the oil, vinegar, juice, zests, honey, and soy sauce and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half. Remove from the heat and whisk in the butter. Place the mangos and avocados in a bowl and drizzle with the reduced sauce. Gently fold to coat the fruits, and then sprinkle with the cilantro; set aside.
Step 3
Grill the chicken until it reaches an internal temperature of 165°F. Transfer to a platter and spoon on half the salsa, serving the rest on the side.
Yields 4-6 servings.