Grilled Chicken with Sesame
Koreans are big on sesame seeds, and they're big on marinating. They're also big on big flavors, as this wonderful grilled chicken demonstrates. You can buy pretoasted sesame seeds and even sesame seed powder at Korean markets, something you might consider if you become addicted to this cuisine; but toasting them takes no time at all.
- ¼ cup toasted sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon peeled and minced fresh ginger
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons sugar or mirin
- Salt and black pepper to taste
- 1 chicken, 3 to 4 pounds, cut into serving pieces, or 2½ to 3 pounds chicken parts, trimmed of excess fat
- Chopped fresh scallion for garnish
Instructions:
- Grind half of the toasted sesame seeds to a powder and set the other half aside for garnish. Combine this powder in a large bowl with the garlic, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, sugar, salt, pepper, and about ¼ cup water. Make a couple of deep slashes on the skin side of each piece of chicken and add the chicken to the marinade. Let rest while you prepare the grill or refrigerate for up to 24 hours, turning occasionally.
- Start a charcoal or gas grill; the fire should be only moderately hot and the rack about 4 inches from the heat source. Grill the chicken carefully—this mixture will burn easily—starting at the cooler part of the fire and, as the chicken's fat drips less, moving to a hotter part, turning the pieces as necessary to brown them.
-  Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature, garnished with the scallion and reserved sesame seeds.