2019-05-01_Food_&_Wine_USA

M AY 2019 109

minutes. Remove from grill; remove

shrimp from skewers.

4. Divide noodles among 4 bowls. Top
   evenly with shrimp, cucumber slices,
   scallions, rau ram, lime slices, and chile
   slices. Serve with nuoc cham and salt-
   and-pepper limes. —HONG TRAN, HAI SAN
   BA CUONG, DA NANG, VIETNAM
   BEER Cold pale lager: Tiger Beer

Nuoc Cham

PHOTO P. 78

TOTAL 10 MIN; MAKES ABOUT^1 / 2 CUP

Nuoc cham is an all-purpose Vietnamese

sauce that is delicious on noodle salads

and lettuce wraps.

2 red Thai chiles, thinly sliced

1 garlic clove, finely chopped

3 Tbsp. water

2 Tbsp. fish sauce

2 Tbsp. fresh lime juice

11 / 2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

Stir together all ingredients in a small

bowl until sugar is dissolved. Serve imme-

diately, or cover and chill up to 1 day.

Salt-and-Pepper Limes

PHOTO P. 78

TOTAL 5 MIN; SERVES 6

Squeeze these simply seasoned lime

wedges over any protein or salad for a

fresh hit of acid and spice.

1 Tbsp. fine sea salt

1 Tbsp. finely ground black pepper

11 / 2 tsp. finely chopped red Thai chile

(from 1 small chile) (optional)

1 (3-oz.) lime, cut into 6 wedges

Stir together salt, black pepper, and chile,

if desired, in a small bowl. Add lime

wedges; toss until well coated.

Ginger Jerk Chicken

PHOTO P. 65

ACTIVE 1 HR 10 MIN; TOTAL 14 HR 50 MIN

SERVES 8

This smoky, spice-infused chicken from
St. Croix native chef Digby Stridiron is
almost as good as a trip to the West Indies.
For a less-spicy marinade, remove the
seeds from the habaneros. Let the
chicken rest for the full 30 minutes for the
most tender results.

JERK MARINADE

(^1) / (^4) cup whole allspice, toasted
3 Tbsp. black peppercorns, toasted
2 Tbsp. green cardamom pods,
toasted
1 bunch scallions, roughly chopped
1 (8-oz.) piece fresh ginger, peeled
and roughly chopped (about 1 cup)
2 habanero chiles (about^3 / 4 oz.),
stems removed
6 garlic cloves, peeled
(^1) / (^4) cup water
(^1) / 4 cup tamarind paste (such as
Neera’s)
2 Tbsp. fresh thyme leaves
2 Tbsp. soy sauce
2 Tbsp. canola oil
JERK BRINE
2 cups water
(^1) / 2 cup kosher salt
1 lb. ice cubes
CHICKEN
8 chicken leg quarters (about 5^3 / 4 lb.)
(^1) / 2 cup white vinegar
3 limes, halved
1 Tbsp. plus^1 /^2 tsp. kosher salt,
divided

1. Make the jerk marinade: Place allspice,
   peppercorns, and cardamom pods in a
   high-powered blender; process on high
   speed until spices are finely ground,
   about 30 seconds. Add scallions, ginger,
   chiles, garlic,^1 / 4 cup water, tamarind
   paste, thyme, soy sauce, and oil; process
   on high speed until mixture is smooth,
   about 1 minute. Reserve 3 tablespoons
   marinade for jerk brine; cover and chill
   remaining marinade until ready to use.


2. Make the jerk brine: Stir together 3
   tablespoons reserved jerk marinade, 2
   cups water, and salt in a medium

saucepan. Bring to a boil over high, and

cook, stirring occasionally, until salt is

dissolved. Remove from heat, and add

ice. Let brine stand until ice is melted,

about 20 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, make the chicken: Place
   chicken quarters in a large plastic con-
   tainer. Pour vinegar over chicken; rub vin-
   egar into chicken using lime halves.
   Discard limes and any leftover vinegar.
   Pour cooled jerk brine over chicken in
   container; press chicken down to sub-
   merge. Cover and refrigerate at least 4
   hours or up to 6 hours. Remove chicken
   from brine; discard brine. Return chicken
   to container. Add remaining jerk mari-
   nade, and rub to coat chicken. Cover and
   chill at least 8 hours or up to 24 hours.


4. Rub excess marinade off chicken quar-
   ters; place chicken on a rimmed baking
   sheet. Sprinkle chicken with 1 tablespoon
   salt, and let stand at room temperature
   while smoker preheats.


5. Prepare smoker according to manufac-
   turer’s instructions using 5 pounds
   pimento or pecan wood chunks. Bring
   internal temperature to 250°F to 275°F;
   maintain temperature for 15 to 20 min-
   utes. Place chicken quarters on grate,
   skin side up, and smoke, covered, until a
   meat thermometer inserted in thickest
   portion registers 160°F, 1 hour and 30
   minutes to 2 hours, adding wood as
   needed to maintain smoker temperature
   of 250°F to 275°F.


6. Remove chicken from smoker; place in
   a large roasting pan. Cover tightly with
   aluminum foil, and let chicken steam 30
   minutes. Unwrap chicken, sprinkle with
   remaining^1 / 2 teaspoon salt, and serve.
   —DIGBY STRIDIRON, BRAATA, FREDERIKSTED,
   ST. C R O IX
   BEER Jamaican lager beer: Red Stripe

BLUE

Blue crabs are

the source of the

sweet, tender meat

most often associ-

ated with summer

in the Chesapeake

Bay, though blue

swimmer crab,

processed in Asia,

is actually more

widely available

across the market.

SOFT-SHELL

Soft-shell crabs are

caught between

molting old shells

and growing new

ones, resulting in a

softer shell, which

can be cooked and

eaten whole. Look

for them fresh from

late spring through

midsummer, or

purchase frozen

year-round.

DUNGENESS

With larger bodies

and sweeter meat

than blue crabs,

Dungeness crabs

are prized during

the spring season.

Look for fresh

whole crabs at

fishmongers on the

West Coast, or buy

split and cleaned

sections frozen.

To ensure best

quality, visible

meat of frozen

crab should be

white. Inspect

picked meat for

pockets of blue or

gray, which may

indicate previously

frozen meat that

was not stored

correctly.

BUYING GUIDE CRABS