Murky Mojito

I rather like mojitos, especially the ones that Melissa Chapman makes.   This recipe, however, was born in a moment of efficiency while making (surprise, surprise) Mojito Chicken.   We only had dark rum, and I had the brown sugar out anyway for the glaze, and Paul was drinking his favorite Kentucky treat (well, his second-favorite to bourbon), Ale 8.  And thus, a star was born.

6 mint leaves
1 tsp brown sugar
1/2 oz. lime juice
2 oz. dark rum
ginger ale, to taste (Michiganders: do NOT use Vernors - too sweet.  If you haven't snagged a can of Ale 8 from our horde or laid aside your own stash from Kentucky, Canada Dry is acceptable.)

Chiffonade the mint leaves, then muddle in the bottom of a lowball glass with the brown sugar (I've found that the handle of our honing steel works nicely for this, but the handle of a wooden spoon would also do, if you don't have a proper muddler).

Add ice, lime juice, dark rum, and top off the glass with ginger ale.  If you prefer a more dilute drink, use a larger glass and more ginger ale.

Mojito Chicken

This is one of the recipes we've adapted from Food Network's Guy Fieri.  He's crazy, and sometimes so are his lists of ingredients.  This one, however, is pretty reasonable, even with a three-stage flavor process.  We recommend serving this with rice, and a Murky Mojito.

The Rub
2-3 chicken breasts (with bone & skin; trust us)
2 Tbs garlic powder
1 Tbs onion powder
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbs dried oregano
1 Tbs kosher salt
1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp paprika

The Marinade
1 cup orange juice
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 Tbs sliced garlic
1/4 cup dark rum

The Glaze
1/2 cup dark rum
1/2 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon brown sugar
3 tablespoons cold water
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup chopped mint leaves

Combine all the dry spices and rub chicken with spice mixture, especially under the skin. Put into a resealable plastic bag and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl combine all the ingredients for the marinade, then add chicken to marinade and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

In medium sauce pot, place rum, chicken broth and brown sugar. Reduce by 1/3 over high heat. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together water and cornstarch. When rum mixture is reduced, add cornstarch mixture slowly to simmering liquid and whisk until 50 percent thicker. Keep in mind that you might not need all of it. When glaze is at desired thickness, add mint leaves and transfer to small bowl.

Get your grill piping hot.  Remove chicken from marinade and shake off excess.  Place skin-side down on grill, turning periodically until cooked almost all the way, about 160 degrees.  Brush chicken with the glaze and continue grilling until chicken reaches 165 degrees.

Serve immediately with more glaze on the side.