When I think about sharing a recipe in honor of Father's Day, I can't help but think of my own father. He took charge whenever a special holiday came around, poring through his cookbooks and favorite recipes looking for something fun to try. He loved cooking Indian food, and one of his specialties was tandoori chicken, introduced to him by a friend, Dr. Shaw, who owned the now-closed The Spices restaurant in Ferrisburgh.
Traditionally, tandoori chicken is prepared by marinating chicken pieces in yogurt, onion, citrus and spices, then cooking them on a skewer in a tandoor, which is a traditional coal or wood-fired clay oven that gets super hot — we're talking 900 degrees Fahrenheit! My father didn't have a tandoor, so his recipe calls for bone-in chicken drumsticks, thighs or leg quarters, cooked on a grill. That's how he preferred to make this dish, weather permitting. He'd use the oven if he had to, but grilling is more like using a tandoor. Though I have asked, my husband has yet to build me a tandoor, so we make do with a grill.
This is not a spicy chicken recipe, but it is bursting with flavor. Sometimes, in a restaurant, it is a shocking red color. This is often the result of food coloring or chili powder. We just leave it the natural orange-brown color, which is still lovely.
Tandoori chicken is one of my family's favorite dishes — especially when accompanied by fluffy basmati rice, naan bread, and Indian chutney and pickles. Ethnic markets like Gagan Indian Grocery on Williston Road offer a good selection of chutney and pickles, which come in a variety of flavors, from sweet and flavorful to spicy. Some are extremely spicy, like the lemon pickle Dad once got that was so acidic it ate through the jar's metal lid.
Spice or no, this recipe will add international flair to your Father's Day celebration, and might be just the thing if you're looking for something fun to try on the grill.
Woodstock, VT
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