While some recipes call for brining the chicken, The New York Times’ recipe did not. For the recipe you’ll need ketchup, soy sauce, light or dark brown sugar, rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar, freshly grated ginger, freshly grated garlic, chicken and a neutral oil for brushing on the grill grate to prevent sticking. My preference for chicken is Bell&Evans. It’s a higher quality chicken than some brands and I find that it cooks up moist and juicy.
 
The first six ingredients are used to make a marinade and a “mop sauce” for the chicken while it cooks. I started my chicken by baking it in a 350° oven for approximately 20 minutes, then switched to my gas grill. I kept an eye on the chicken so it didn’t burn and used a meat thermometer to make sure I cooked the meat until it reached an internal temperature of 165°.
 
Yum, yum what a mouthwatering meal! The chicken was perfectly cooked and the sauce delightful. Not too sweet, the rice vinegar I used and the ginger offset the sweetness perfectly. The barbecue sauce was as they say, “finger lickin’ good!” It’s a recipe that uses pantry staples and is easy to prepare. If you’re looking to change up your upcoming Fourth of July menu, Huli Huli Chicken is the way to go.
 
As a side dish for the chicken, I served Honey Glazed Carrots, another recipe from The New York Times. The original recipe is from Freda DeKnight and adapted by Kayla Stewart. Besides carrots and honey, you’ll also need orange juice, butter, salt and finely chopped parsley. It’s a very easy recipe to prepare, but what made this dish even more tasty were the organic carrots that I purchased from Rolling Hills Farms. I discovered them last Sunday at the Asbury Fresh Sunday Farmers & Makers Market located at Kennedy Park in downtown Asbury Park, NJ. The carrots were very flavorful and had a subtle sweetness. Rolling Hills Farms also offers a Market CSA. They use a credit-based system and instead of RHF selecting the produce, you select your produce. I’m interested in the $250 subscription which results in a $275 credit, a 10% discount. I’m choosing to sign up at the market on Sunday to avoid the web host’s fee for Rolling Hills Farm online ordering.

Huli Huli Chicken
Recipe from Alana Kysar
Adapted by Margaux Laskey, The New York Times/NYT Cooking App
 
In 1954 in Honolulu, Hawaii, Ernest Morgado formed poultry company with chicken farmer, Mike Asagi. During a meeting with local Hawaiian farmers, Ernest and Mike feed the farms with barbecued chicken. Mr.  Morgado used a teriyaki type marinade that was based on his grandmother’s recipe. As the chicken was frequently turned during cooking, people began calling it huli, which in Hawaiian means “turn.”
 
 
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 45 minutes, plus 8 hours marinating
 
INGREDIENTS
 
½ cup ketchup
½ cup soy sauce
½ cup packed light or dark brown sugar
¼ cup rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 (1-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and finely grated
2 to 3 garlic cloves, peeled and finely grated
3 ½ to 4 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces
 Grapeseed or canola oil, for brushing the grill grate
 
PREPARATION

1. In a large bowl or a gallon-size resealable plastic bag, combine the ketchup, soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, ginger and garlic, and stir or shake until combined. Reserve and refrigerate 1/2 cup of the mixture for basting the chicken later. Add the chicken to the remaining mixture, and stir or shake until evenly coated. If using a bowl, cover with plastic wrap. Refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours, turning the chicken at least once.
2. When you’re ready to cook, oil your grill grates well. Heat the grill to medium (for charcoal, the grill is ready when you can hold your hand 5 inches above the coals for 5 to 7 seconds). Add the chicken to the grill, cover, and cook 25 to 35 minutes, turning every 5 minutes to keep the chicken from burning, and basting it with the reserved marinade after you turn it, until cooked through. (Cook times will vary depending on sizes and cuts of chicken pieces, so be sure to check for doneness: Meat should not be pink and the juices should run clear.) Serve immediately.

Honey-Glazed Carrots
Recipe from Freda DeKnight
Adapted by Kayla Stewart
“The Ebony Test Kitchen, Where Black Cuisine was Celebrated, Is Born,”
The New York Times, February 18, 2022
 
Yield: 2 to 4 servings
Time: 40 minutes
 
INGREDIENTS
 
6 to 8 carrots, peeled
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon butter
 Salt
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley
 
PREPARATION
 

1. Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
2. Fill an ovenproof skillet that can fit the carrots with 1 to 2 inches of water. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add the carrots and add more water if needed to cover the carrots. Reduce the heat to simmer the carrots until they’re tender but not soft, about 15 minutes. 
3. Pour the water out of the skillet, keeping the carrots in the skillet by holding them back with a spatula. Add the juice, honey and butter to the skillet and stir to mix (the butter may not melt all the way). Roll the carrots in the mixture, season them with salt and transfer to the oven.
4. Bake, gently rolling the carrots once, until the carrots are glazed, about 15 minutes. Season to taste with salt and sprinkle with parsley.