Deviled Chicken Skewers With Bibb Lettuce and Pickles
Chef Isaac McHale serves these
spicy chicken skewers in the bar at London’s Clove Club. With salted yogurt for
dipping and a salad of Bibb lettuce and quick-pickled vegetables, they’re a
great match for beer, wine or cocktails
By Kitty Greenwald in the Wall
Street Journal
The
Chef: Isaac McHale
His Restaurant: The Clove Club, London
What he is known for: Seriously inventive, ingredient-focused British fare.
Trading his crown as London’s pop-up king for a Michelin star in short order.
AT LONDON’S Clove Club, there are two styles of experience on offer.
“In the dining room it’s a set menu and I tend to focus on ‘wow’ moments,” said
chef Isaac McHale. “In the bar it’s about fun and sharing dishes.” This recipe,
Mr. McHale’s second Slow Food Fast contribution, definitely falls in the bar-fare category. Spicy chicken
skewers, served with Bibb lettuce, a scattering of quick-pickled vegetables and
a dollop of salted yogurt, are just the thing for a night of drinking and
mingling.
“I wanted to make it interesting and
create a bit of buzz,” said Mr. McHale of his bar menu. “So, I thought we could
do beak-to-tail dinners”—a wry play on the meaty, nose-to-tail cooking
associated with Fergus Henderson and the generation of British chefs who came
up with him. Mr. McHale’s chicken-centric menu didn’t last: “The problem is you
get tired of chicken four courses in,” he said. But this dish remains a Clove
Club fixture. The chef calls it his “homage to the Turkish kebab houses of east
London,” a customary stop after a night at the pub.
The Bibb lettuce makes a nice side
salad, but should you choose to fully embrace the bar-food spirit and dispense
with forks, you can use the leaves to wrap the spicy chicken pieces as you
pluck them from their skewers and dip them in the salted yogurt. Beyond that,
to do this dish justice, all you need is a beverage (or two) and some lively
company.
Deviled
Chicken Skewers With Bibb Lettuce and Pickles
Total Time: 30 minutes Serves: 4
- 3 skin-on, bone-in chicken breasts (about 1½ pounds)
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
- 6 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 radishes, sliced into wedges
- ½ medium kohlrabi, peeled and thinly sliced
- 1 cup full-fat Greek yogurt
- 2 heads Bibb lettuce, tough outer leaves discarded
- Leaves from 8 sprigs chervil
- 1 tablespoon Old Bay seasoning
- 1 tablespoon mustard powder
- 1 lemon, cut into wedges
1.
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rub chicken with salt and pepper and 1 tablespoon
oil. Place chicken, skin-side up, on a baking sheet and roast on center rack of
oven until just cooked through, about 15 minutes.
2.
Meanwhile, bring vinegar and 3 tablespoons water to a boil in a small pot over
medium heat. Place radishes and kohlrabi in a small bowl and pour hot brine
over top. Let cool in refrigerator until ready to serve.
3.
Cut cooked chicken off bone and into 1½-inch cubes. Thread chicken onto 4 metal
or wooden skewers.
4.
Slick a large skillet with 3 tablespoons oil and set over high heat. Once pan
is hot, place skewers in it, skin-side down, and cook until skin browns and
crisps, about 2 minutes. Flip and brown reverse side, about 1 minute more.
5.
In a small bowl, season yogurt with salt to taste. In a salad bowl, toss Bibb
lettuce leaves with chervil. Drain pickled vegetables and toss into salad bowl
along with remaining oil. Season salad with salt to taste.
6.
In another small bowl, combine Old Bay and mustard powder. Distribute chicken
skewers among 4 plates and sprinkle with Old Bay-mustard mixture. Serve skewers
with salad, a dollop of salted yogurt and a lemon wedge.
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