Coconut milk marinade helps grilled chicken rise to occasion

Credit: Michael Tercha

Credit: Michael Tercha

The revolution demands: Rise up. And desks heed the call. Enough of sitting idle, standing still, holding steady at 29 1/2 inches above the carpeting. Now: They rise.

Which comes as a surprise to the home-office worker. Alone with coffee and kitchen table, she had no idea this rebellion was brewing. Concerning office furniture, she is not, as they say, woke.

She drops by the office office and notes that her desk hums with a new kind of energy. Specifically: electricity. It has sprouted buttons. One touch, and it levitates.

The worker frowns. She sees where this is going. Her desk is urging her, too, to rise, to click and strike keys while standing, or — worse — running. She prefers the chicken approach — stroll, peck and for work: nest.

Struggling to snag a receding packet of sticky notes, she brushes the buttons. The desk whirs, its legs telescope and it crouches down, below the plane formerly known as desk height, to that of an ottoman.

The worker clucks and settles. She likes this new, low desk. It accommodates some of her favorite work poses: foot on desk, elbows on desk, forehead on desk. Maybe revolution isn’t all bad. Didn’t that famous one come with cake?

———

HARDWORKING COCONUT CHICKEN 

Prep: 20 minutes

Wait: 3 to 24 hours

Grill: 30 minutes

Makes: 4 servings

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts (4 pounds total), each cut into 4 pieces

Marinade: 

1 can (14 ounces) coconut milk

5 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 jalapeno peppers, halved, seeds removed

1 clove garlic

1 chunk (3 inches long) fresh ginger, peeled, sliced into coins

2 teaspoons kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Glaze: 

1/4 cup (lightly packed) fresh cilantro leaves and tender stems

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons dark brown sugar

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1. Marinate: Settle chicken in a glass pan or zip-close bag. In the blender, swirl smooth all marinade ingredients; pour over chicken, turning pieces to coat. Refrigerate 2 to 24 hours, turning chicken once.

2. Rest: 1 hour before grilling, pull chicken out of marinade. Discard marinade. Let chicken rest at room temperature. Meanwhile, blend all glaze ingredients smooth.

3. Grill: Prepare a medium-hot grill; oil grates. Grill chicken over indirect heat until it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees, 12-15 minutes per side.

4. Glaze: Brush chicken all over with glaze. Grill over direct heat, turning and brushing a couple more times, 1-2 minutes. Enjoy warm.

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