The BASCKIN grilling machine is nothing more than a cast-iron grilling pan to which I’ve fitted a stainless steel lid from one of my frying pans.
The heat comes from an Eskom-defying Cadac fitted with a low-pressure valve, which is linked to a two-burner gas ring. Low pressure is best for controlled cooking and when it comes to grilling chicken in a covered cast-iron pan, temperature control is key.
Select really huge chicken breasts, complete with skin and bone. If frozen or chilled, allow them to return to room temperature. In a bowl, pour a couple of tablespoons of extra-virgin olive oil and add the juice of one or two lemons. Then mix in two tablespoons of the masala of your choice and mix the entire contents, which will form a dense paste. Although this is a million miles away from a true Tandoori, the effect is similar. Roll the breasts in the paste and let them stand under clingwrap for the time it takes to get the griller up and running.
The spice merchant who supplied me my Tandoori masala became strangely hard of hearing when I asked her for the recipe. However, intuition and many years in KZN suggested to me that the masala contained crushed, dried red chillies, cloves, cardamoms, cinnamon, coriander and cumin. Don’t be put off by this mystery: any good, freshly packed KZN-made masala should do the trick.
Alternatively – and this is the second recipe – leave out the masala completely and make a nice olive-oil-and-lemon-juice-based marinade instead. Ignite both rings of the low pressure burner on which you have placed the empty and uncovered cast-iron grill pan. Give this five minutes to get hot, then lay the breasts skinside down in the pan. them two minutes uncovered, then turn the breasts over onto their bony sides, fit the lid and turn off the outer ring.
After five minutes (and believe me, timing is crucial) squeeze some fresh lemon juice over the breasts and quickly refit the lid. The resultant steam contributes to the juiciness of the finished product. After 10 minutes, turn off the gas and let the breasts continue to cook for an additional five minutes under the lid, only using the residual heat of the cast-iron pan.
You can then serve immediately with a microwaved baked potato dressed lightly with a teaspoon or two of extra-virgin olive oil. – David Basckin |fw
