It's the blessed union of two great cuisines. Barbeque meets sushi and the results are delicious! I wanted to try something new, fast, and not too heavy last night since we were eating kind of late. This scored on all counts. The chicken thighs were marinated Asian style with soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic, then grilled, sliced, and wrapped with sticky rice inside of nori wrappers. Other stuffing options are up to you. I sliced some leftover farmer's market baby carrots into a thin julienne, but you could use asparagus, sprouts, or....think sushi and let it flow from there! The whole thing took less than 30 minutes, plus this marinade recipe is dynamite, and I can see using it on a slew of other edibles. You can thank me later!!
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Grilled chicken thighs in Nori wrapper
3/4 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup (packed) dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons chopped peeled fresh ginger
4 large garlic cloves, chopped
12 skinless boneless chicken thighs (about 3 pounds)
Sticky Rice
Nori Wrappers
Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, and garlic in large bowl. DO AHEAD: Can be made 2 hours ahead. Let stand at room temperature.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Add chicken to marinade; toss to coat. Let marinate at room temperature 15 minutes (any longer and the chicken can get too salty). Brush grill with oil. Grill chicken until cooked through, about 5 minutes per side. Remove from grill and slice into strips.
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For Sticky Rice
Short to medium grain rice has an especially high starch content, which makes it sticky — and easy to press into a lettuce or nori wrapper.
3 cups water 1 teaspoon salt 1 1/2 cups short to medium grain rice (such as sushi rice)
Bring water to boil in small saucepan. Stir in salt and rice; bring to boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer until water is absorbed and rice is tender, about 17 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Stir in a splash of rice wine vinegar before serving.
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To assemble:
Cut nori wrappers lengthwise and lightly brush one side of nori wrapper with sesame oil. Wrap grilled chicken with the Sticky Rice on oiled side of Nori Wrappers.
Makes 6 servings.
