What's on the Grill #267: Chicken Grillsicles with Rum Butter Sauce

When it comes to grilling chicken on a stick, it's usually Zoë's idea.  At the mere suggestion of a skewered recipe, I complain, I drag my feet, I belittle all that is boneless and skinless and in the end, I usually end up liking whatever it is she wants to make.  Go figure.

In this case she hit the mark so well, I may have to re-think my immediate skewered chicken aversion.  It really was quite good.  I'm sure the butter, nuts, honey, and rum helped sway me, too.

Chicken Grillsicles with Rum Butter Sauce
Adapted from Ted Reader's King of the Q's Blue Plate BBQ 

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs
4 tsp your favorite BBQ rub

Rum Butter Sauce 

1/2 cup softened butter
2 t peeled & grated fresh ginger
1 T chopped fresh garlic
1/2 cup peach jam
1/2 cup honey
1 t soy sauce
3 oz dark rum
2 green onions, finely chopped

3 T vegetable oil
2 cups crushed nuts (I used peanuts. I suggest cashews)

Cut up the chicken into large chunks.

Skewer the chicken pieces.

Season liberally with the rub.

Be sure to rotate the skewers all the way around.  Rub.  Everywhere.

Meanwhile, prep the sauce.

Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a pan over medium heat.

Slowly heat the sauce, whisking occasionally.  Once the ingredients are warm and combined, remove from heat and seat aside.

Prep the grill for a two zone fire. If cooking with charcoal, move the coals to one side of the grill and leave the other empty.

If grilling on gas, be sure to leave a burner, or burners off, while equally lighting the rest.  Look for medium heat, about 350 F.

Oil the grill grates.  Grill the chicken over direct heat, searing all sides.  Figure out about 5 minutes total.

Move the chicken to indirect heat, and grill until cooked.  The internal temp should read 170 F, which takes about 20 minutes.   

Now, backup 6 minutes.  Just before taking the chicken off the grill, baste with the sauce.

While basting, take the chopped nuts and spread out across a cookie sheet covered with aluminum foil. Baste the chicken again, with a lot of sauce, right before you remove the skewers from the grill.  Place the skewers on the nuts and roll around to completely cover.

Serve immediately.

I love different textures and the nuts certainly take ye ole chicken skewers to a different level.

As I mentioned before, I'm sure the boozy sugary baste helped a bit too.