Fabulous Five Spice Chicken

Ingredients

01) 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
02) 2 tablespoons sherry
03) 2 shallots
04) 6 cloves garlic
05) 2 tablespoons fresh ginger
06) 2 tablespoons Chinese five-spice powder
07) 1 serrano pepper
08) 2 tablespoons brown sugar
09) 1/2 teaspoon ground anise seed
10) 1/2 teaspoon salt
11) 2 pounds bone-in chicken parts

Directions

Step 1

In a blender or food processor, blend the soy sauce, oil, sherry, shallots, garlic, ginger, Chinese five-spice powder, serrano pepper, brown sugar, anise, and salt until smooth. Place the chicken in a large bowl. Pour the blended mixture over the chicken, cover, and marinate at least 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Step 2

Preheat grill for high heat. Lightly oil the grill grate. Discard marinade. Place chicken on the grill, and cook 10 minutes on each side, or until juices run clear.

Note: Chinese Five-spice powder

Five spice may be used with fatty meats such as pork and duck. It is used as a spice rub for chicken, duck, pork and seafood, in red cooking recipes, or added to the breading for fried foods. Five spice is used in recipes for Cantonese roasted duck, as well as beef stew. It is used as a marinade for Vietnamese broiled chicken. The five-spice powder mixture has followed the Chinese diaspora and has been incorporated into other national cuisines throughout Asia.

Although this mixture is used in restaurant cooking, many Chinese households do not use it in day-to-day cooking. In Hawaii, some restaurants place a shaker of the spice on each patron's table. A seasoned salt can be easily made by dry-roasting common salt with five-spice powder under low heat in a dry pan until the spice and salt are well mixed.