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NY Street Cart Chicken

Cooks Illustrated - Grilled Chicken With Warm Pita

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 - 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, trimmed
  • 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons water, divided
  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • 2 tablespoons honey
  • 1 teaspoon table salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper, divided
  • 1 cup mayonnaise
  • 2 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
  • 1/4 teaspoon ground cardamom
  • 1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 4 (8-inch) pitas, divided
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • 2 plum tomatoes, cored, halved lengthwise, and sliced
  • 2 cups shredded iceberg lettuce
  • Hot sauce

Directions

  1. Slice chicken breasts in half horizontally. Whisk 1/3 cup water, fish sauce, honey, salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper together in small bowl. Transfer mixture to 1-gallon zipper-lock bag. Add chicken, press out air, seal bag, and turn bag so contents are evenly distributed. Refrigerate for 30 minutes.

  2. While chicken marinates, stir mayonnaise, lemon juice, coriander, cardamom, turmeric, remaining 2 tablespoons water, and teaspoon pepper in small bowl until smooth; set aside. (Sauce can be refrigerated for up to 3 days.)

  3. FOR A CHARCOAL GRILL: Open bottom vent completely. Light large chimney starter filled with charcoal briquettes (6 quarts). When top coals are partially covered with ash, pour evenly over grill. Set cooking grate in place, cover, and open lid vent completely. Heat grill until hot, about 5 minutes. FOR A GAS GRILL: Turn all burners to high, cover, and heat grill until hot, about 15 minutes. Leave all burners on high.

  4. Lightly moisten 2 pitas with water. Sandwich remaining pitas between moistened pitas and wrap tightly in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Remove chicken from refrigerator and open one corner of bag to drain and discard excess marinade. Add oil to chicken, re-seal bag and turn to evenly coat.

  5. Clean and oil cooking grate. Place packet of pita on half of grill. Place chicken, skinned side down, on other half of grill. Cook (covered if using gas) until pitas are heated through, about 5 minutes, flipping pita packet occasionally. Cook chicken until dark grill marks develop and breasts register 160 degrees, 3 to 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to cutting board and let rest at least 5 minutes.

  6. Slice chicken into thin strips and transfer to serving platter. Arrange tomatoes and lettuce on platter next to chicken. Serve with white sauce, warm pita, and hot sauce.