People in Columbia love Spotted Salamander. Whether it's catching lunch in their cafe or snagging a heaping plate of hors d'oeuvres at an event they cater, no one can get enough of it. In fact, Chef Jessica Shillato is a Chef Ambassador for the state of South Carolina this year, which means that even more people from across the state will have the opportunity to meet her, try her food, and hear her philosophy on fresh produce and life in the kitchen.
Spotted Salamander posts their chalkboard menus daily and it's easy to wonder how she comes up with all of these amazing combinations, but I also wonder what chefs really eat at home, around their own dinner tables. Chef Jessica only does lunch service at Spotted so she has the chance to enjoy dinner at her own home more than other chefs might. I queried her recently on what a dinner meal looks like for her and her family and she shared not only a great recipe, but a whole meal idea.
Jessica says: This is an example of something I would serve at home on a weeknight. I grill out as much as possible in the summer. I keep things very easy. I would marinate this the night before for lots of flavor. I would serve this with some veggies I picked up at a local market -grilled squash and a cucumber, watermelon, cilantro salad.
So I followed her recipe at home and hope ya'll enjoy it as well! Thanks Jessica!
Weeknight Grilled Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup brown sugar
- ½ cup rice wine vinegar or white wine
- 3 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 cloves garlic (preminced is fine!)
- ¾ tsp ground ginger
- 8 scallions cut
- ½ tsp sriracha optional
- 8 bone-in chicken thighs (about 3 lbs.)
Instructions
- Combine first seven ingredients in large bowl, stir together well, then add chicken. Marinate between 2 and 24 hours.
- Grill on low 15 minutes, then turn the chicken thighs over with tongs. Cook 10 minutes, then check temperature. Keep turning and repeating process until chicken reaches 165* degrees.
- Serve with squash that has been been sliced lengthwise, coated in oil, tossed with salt and pepper, and grilled for 10 minutes or until fork-tender.
We're in prime grilling season here, which is strange considering it's too hot to want to be near an open flame, but hey, it's not for long at least. This recipe is easy for a weeknight because you can throw the chicken in the marinade the night before and it'll be right on time when you get home and start the cooking process.
While the chicken is grilling, it's the perfect amount of time to dice the watermelon and cucumber for this light and refreshing watermelon cucumber salad (note: the instructions are bizarre but the proportions are spot on). The recipe is for 8 but you can easily cut it in half or just eat it more than once throughout the week. Mmm, leftovers!
Of course, cooking for oneself all of the time is boring and tedious, so make sure to check out Spotted Salamander for lunch next time you find yourself downtown during the midday hours!
