Pargiyot Three Ways

Pargiyot literally translates as “baby chicken.” I saw this at a restaurant with my mother in Kfar Saba, where she lives, and she laughed when I asked her if they were using poussin (real baby chicken). “Pargiyot is chicken thighs,” she said. I guess the marketing people took over! Chicken has a mild reputation, but the flavor of chicken cooked over charcoal is ridiculously good. The dark meat of chicken thighs is ideal for the grill — it’s far easier to keep succulent than white meat. Chicken takes a marinade incredibly well. For our staple marinade at Zahav, I puree onions in the blender with lemon juice, garlic, oil, salt, and tons of parsley. The interaction of the onion juice with the coals infuses the chicken with the pure essence of the grill. The sugars in the onions caramelize into smoky sweetness, and the lemon and parsley turn the flavor bright and fresh. At Marigold Kitchen, I kept a hibachi just outside the back door and when an order came in, I’d run outside with a marinated chicken thigh and throw it on the grill. If I left it on the fire a minute or two long, the customers never knew. A basic marinade (for any meat) can be adapted in so many ways. Three favorites: The first, based on Zahav’s, is greenish — onion, lemons, and parsley; the second relies on harissa for its red and spicy trip to North Africa; and the third has a base of amba, the Iraqi pickled mango that gives the chicken a totally Middle Eastern curry flavor, hence its color.