Huli Huli Chicken

Walking around Honolulu on a Saturday afternoon you are bound to come across the drifting aroma of countless barbeques.  Occasionally the rich meaty smells float on wafts of smoke emanating from school or church parking lots.   Probably a fundraiser.  Most likely serving Huli Huli Chicken.

Huli Huli means turn turn in Hawaiian, and often you'll see whole birds sandwiched between grills and turned over flames at the larger events.  The marinade is something between a teriyaki and a Kansas City BBQ sauce, and oh so wonderful.

With the freezing cold and lack of a grill, we were unable to replicate the charred BBQ beauty of these birds, but in a pinch our broiler did a wonderful job.

adapted from John's recipe at Hawaii Magazine 

serves 10-12 

The Ingredients:
3 chickens, cut into pieces
1/3 cup ketchup
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup sherry
1-2 Tbsp. sesame oil
1-2-more pieces ginger root, crushed
3 cloves garlic, crushed
Worchestershire sauce to taste
Sriracha or Asian chili paste (or red pepper flakes) to taste
Squeeze a lemon in if you've got one

The Process:
Trim the chicken as desired, rinse and pat dry.  Pierce in several places with a sharp knife and set aside.

Combine the remaining ingredients in a medium bowl and whisk until well combined.  Divide th chicken into large shallow dishes or freezer bags and cover with marinade.  Cover and refridgerate for 2 to 3 hours, turning once.

Grill chicken over hot coals, turning frequently and basting with remaining marinade. Or broil in the oven, 8 to 10 minutes per side , turning once.


The Review:
Charred, tender and just a touch of sweet, these birds sang at the Luau.  The pieces had been transferred to a slow cooker to stay warm through out the evening, which lead to soggy skin, but otherwise this was a pleasant BBQ twist for many of our guests.

I look forward to trying this on the grill when the weather warms up!