Chicken on the Global Grill

Barbecued Chicken Polynesian Style

Although it’s back to school, people are still enjoying their barbecues during the last weekends of Indian summer. Try some global flavors for a change: Polynesian style grilled chicken has a spicy sweet asian tang because its marinade consists of honey, soy sauce, hoisin, star anise, and ginger. Indian ‘Tandoori Chicken’ has a velvety marinade made from yogurt and a combination of cumin, curry, and chile powders with added garlic and ginger. The dish’s subtle flavour and tender texture is enhanced by it being grilled in a traditional Tandoor clay oven. Caribbean ‘Jerk Chicken’ uses a centuries old method of marinating chicken in spicy sweet seasonings and grilling it over wood for a smoky barbecue taste. The marinade contains chile pepper, allspice, thyme, cinnamon, nutmeg, pepper and scallions which are made into a paste with oil, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar and dark rum. This fiery sauce is also great with meat and seafood. Tuscan style barbecued chicken uses classic Italian ingredients such as tomato paste, garlic, rosemary, oregano, basil, balsamico, and red wine. Honey or molasses is used as a sweetener. In Japanese cuisine, teriyaki or yakitori styles are favourite ways of serving chicken. The ubiquitous teriyaki sauce is the chosen marinade for these popular dishes which are enjoyed throughout this island nation.