Dried hibiscus flowers is a staple in my mother's pantry, Every other week or so right before going to bed she'd steep them in hot water to make some of the most refreshing stuff on earth which is a classic Mexican beverage known as "Jamaica" pronounced "Ha-My-Cah", in English it's often Hibiscus water or Iced Hibiscus tea but in Spanish these kind's of beverages are known as "Agua Fresca's" meaning fresh waters because they are chilled flavored waters made with fresh fruits and other ingredient's like dried hibiscus flowers. The dried flowers are steeped like Tea in hot water for a few hours to over night to release a deep bright crimson color and give a tart sour berry flavor like that of a fruity red wine but with added floral tones , once steeped the flowers are then strained into a pitcher with cold water and sweetened to taste with cane sugar , some people like to drink it unsweetened for the health benefits of hibiscus but even sweetened this is one of the healthiest drinks you can enjoy with your barbecue , next time you see yourself in a Mexican market or restaurant give this stuff a try if they serve it , most places always have agua frescas cause make the most refreshing accompaniments to foods like carne asada and spicy foods.
Being such a staple in latin households , it's only natural for cooks who grew up drinking Jamaica find ways to cook with it from baked goods & desserts to marinades and glazes for grilled and roasted meats , in my journey on learning making amazing BBQ I discovered many recipes utilizing the hibiscus flower even beyond Mexican cooking such as in Hawaii , the middle east and farther south in latin America to the Caribbean and even right here in the states in the southwest region where lots of Mexican flavors is prominent. Hibiscus is now an ingredient you'll find in my cooking , I find it a personal touch each time I use it thinking of my mother, the tart floral berry flavor is bold enough for beef like red wine but it also does well with poultry & pork, here I used it with a whole fryer cut into 8 pieces and marinated it with cilantro , garlic and white wine, I then reduce some of the reserved marinade with pineapple & chiles , a method for quail I loved from Southwest & Mexican expert Chef Mark Miller from his old Coyote Café cookbook. I used his recipe as a foundation and added my own touches with what I had on hand and my advice for those who want to grow better at cooking is to do the same with your favorite recipes , recipes are not a to do list ..they are guides and there to help grow from , it's recipes like this one that I tried once and enjoyed so much that I did it again to the point where I evolved it to my own personal touch making it my own original creation. Every good chef or cook learns from someone , somewhere or something to become better at what they do...inspiration is limitless and there for is no shame in learning from a cookbook like some people believe is cheating , books are written by people with something to say and published in hoping others will come across their words , cookbooks are to teach you something and depending on the author's devotions & efforts to that purpose ...you can very much be learning from them as if they were right next to you showing you something!....which makes it a very much realistic feeling for you to feel educated & inspired by someone's words even if they are not spoken to you verbally but written with a reader like yourself in mind to come across one day.
Mark Millers original recipe calls for reducing down the wine with the hibiscus before marinating the chicken but I found this step unnecessary , I added boiling water to the hibiscus leaves like I normally do and steeped for about 30 minutes and then incorporated the wine , some ice to make sure it's cool enough for the chicken , then the seasonings of garlic & cilantro followed by the chicken pieces and marinated over night. In the reduction process Mark Miller uses Jalapenos but I swapped them out for the more smoky earthy chipotle chilies as they go well the flavor of hibiscus and blend nicely with sweetness of the pineapple. This chicken was served with fire grilled sweet potatoes to welcome the coming fall season which are also an ingredient used a lot in Mexican cooking and knew they would go excellent with this dish glazed with a spiced citrus honey.
The reddish purplish color your chicken will get from marinating in hibiscus at first looks very off but once grilled and glazed it will start to come become something delicious and eye catching. The camera definitely didn't do it enough justice but you gotta give it the recipe a try yourself!. Hey if you can't find dried hibiscus flowers in your area , you can definitely do this recipe with a good red wine and fruit juice such as pomegranate or cranberry.
FOR THE MARINADE
. 1 cup dried hibiscus flowers
. 2 cups boiling hot water
. 1 bottle of Sauvignon Blanc or other white wine
. 1/3 cup minced Cilantro leaves
. 3 cloves of garlic minced
FOR THE CHICKEN
. 1 fryer bird cut into 8 pieces
. salt & pepper
FOR THE GLAZE
. 1 cup reserved marinade
. 1 cup water
. 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
. 1 ripe pineapple , cored and minced finely
. 2 chipotles in adobo finely minced
. 1 1/2 teaspoons Adobo sauce from canned chipotles
. 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
. salt & pepper to taste
1.) Pour hot water over hibiscus flowers in a large bowl and allow to steep for 30 minutes to an hour or even longer
2.) Strain & Discard the hibiscus flowers , if the mixture is still warm add some ice cubes to it cool down.
3.) Add in the chicken pieces and pour over the wine making sure it is completely submerged if not add some water taking care not overflow the bowl , then add in the cilantro and garlic , cover and marinate over night.
4.) an hour to 30 minutes before cooking ..take 1 cup of the marinade and put in in a saucepan along with all the glaze ingredients except the lime juice .
5.) Mix well and bring the mixture to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer and allow the mixture to reduce down greatly until syrupy , about 30 minutes .
6.) When it has greatly reduced down , transfer to a blender and puree till smooth & strain , stir in lime juice and season to taste and keep warm until ready to use.
7.) Remove chicken from marinade, discarding the remaining marinade and pat dry with paper towels.
8.) Season the chicken pieces well with salt & pepper and set aside while you prepare the grill.
9.) Prepare an indirect fire in your grill with mesquite lump charcoal scarping the hot coals to one side of the grill leaving the other void.
10.) Place chicken pieces skin side down over the indirect heat zone , lid down vents opened all the way and above the chicken
11.) Allow to indirect grill for 20 to 25 minutes , then turn over and start brushing on the glaze on all sides and place lid back on and cook for another 15 to 20 minutes basting with the sauce periodically.
12.) Last few minutes , start checking for a doneness of 165 on the breast's and 175 to 180 on the thighs and dark meat.
13.) Remove from heat and allow to rest for few minutes and server at once.
