Chicken Marinade

Chicken Marinade

buttermilk base, for ~600g chicken

Ingredients

For ~600g diced chicken

buttermilk       200ml
chipotle paste   1 tbsp
garlic           2 cloves
ground cumin     1 tsp
dried oregano    1 tsp
smoked paprika   1 tsp
oil              1 tbsp
lemon            1/2
salt             1 tsp
pepper           to taste

Whisk the chipotle paste straight into the buttermilk, no need to dilute it. Start with 1 tbsp and add more for heat.
Buttermilk is already acidic, so go easy on the lemon, zest or a small squeeze is plenty.
A good use for the buttermilk left from making butter.

Recipe

1. Whisk together in a bowl until the chipotle paste has loosened into the buttermilk:

[buttermilk 200ml, chipotle paste 1 tbsp, garlic 2 cloves, cumin 1 tsp, oregano 1 tsp, smoked paprika 1 tsp, oil 1 tbsp, lemon 1/2, salt 1 tsp, pepper to taste]

2. Add the diced chicken, turn to coat, cover.

3. Marinate in the fridge 30 minutes to 4 hours. No longer for diced chicken, the acid will start to turn it mushy.

4. Shake off the excess and cook hot, pan, grill or oven, until charred at the edges. Wiping off the excess first means it sears rather than steams.

❄ Freezer
Freeze: bag the diced chicken raw in the marinade, flat.
Thaw: overnight in the fridge, then cook as above.
Keeps: 3 months frozen.