Chicken Spiedie

I miss summer.

Swimming, shorts, sunny skies, air conditioning... if there were no such thing as humidity, it would be the most perfect time of year.

Plus, I'm a huge fanatic about grilling.  No, I can't grill anything myself.  And if I tried, my Hubbalubba would probably forbid me from entering a ten-foot radius of his personal cooking domain.

But, I love the food that comes off the grill.  I love the moist meat, tender veggies, smoky flavor and crispy char marks that come with cooking food over an open flame.  So much so, in fact, that I frequently need to bust out indoor grill for cooking a warm, summery meal, even in the dead of winter.

Immediately, I thought of a Binghamton classic:  Spiedies.  Pronounced "speedy", this dish incorporates my favorite things.  Crusty italian bread and moist, marinated chicken fresh from the skewer.  I like to include vegetables with mine, too.

This sauce is easy to make and is based on the famous Spiedie sauces found in Binghamton, NY.  And, the longer you marinate, the better the flavor.  You can substitute the chicken with any meat, but it's recommended to use pork or lamb.


Chicken Spiedie

1 lb. chicken breast, cubed
1 cup cauliflower florets
1 cucumber
1 cup grape tomatoes
1 cup pearl onions
1 loaf of Italian bread

Spiedie Sauce
1 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup lemon juice
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried mint
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine all sauce ingredients.

Place chicken in a plastic zip bag with enough marinade to coat the chicken.

Place vegetables in a second bag with the rest of the marinade.  You may elect to set a little marinade aside to pour over the meat after cooking.

Let meat and vegetables marinate for up to three days.

Spear chicken and vegetables onto metal skewers and cook over grill.

Serve on the skewers.  Use a slice of Italian bread to pull the meat or vegetable from the skewer.



Listening to:   Chris Young - You