Recipes Grilled Chicken Thighs with Spicy Miso Mayo 5.0 (3,673) 2 Reviews Chef Ricardo Zarate serves this insanely good Southeast Asian chicken with a super-simple combination of mayonnaise, miso and spicy Sriracha sauce. Slideshow: Chicken Thigh Recipes By Ricardo Zarate Ricardo Zarate Video Best New Chef Ricardo Zarate. Video Ricardo Zarate describes what it means to be named a Best New Chef. Born 1973; Lima, Peru. Education Instituto de las Américas, Lima, Peru. Experience Axis at One Aldwych, Mju and Zuma, London; Sai Sai, Los Angeles; Wabi-Sabi, Venice, CA. How he got into the food business Cooking for his 12 brothers and sisters. "I enjoyed every part of it. I remember posting a menu on the fridge when I was about 12, so my family could see it. I was very proud of it. The menu was based on traditional Peruvian dishes, like chanfaina (an organ meat stew, often made with beef lung and potatoes) and of course lomo saltado (marinated steak and potatoes). I used to go to my friends' houses so I could learn new recipes from their moms." Why he went to London "For many years, I dreamed about leaving Peru to go to Europe to learn how to cook. When I was 19, I went to study English and cooking. My first job was as a dishwasher at Benihana. After six months I became the hibachi chef. After two years, I decided to go from one restaurant to another so I could learn as much as possible." Ingredient Obsession Ají amarillo (a spicy yellow Peruvian chile). "Ají amarillo is for Peruvians what jalapeños are for Mexicans. We use it all the time. I just started serving uni with ají amarillo butter." Pet peeve "I hate a dirty, messy kitchen. Everything has to be overly clean before, during and after I cook. One time in London, a nighttime prep guy started a fire while using the fryer. Everything was black and dirty. He spent seven hours cleaning it, because he knew I would freak out when I came in. The kitchen looked new by the time he was done." Favorite childhood dish A dessert called chufla (a soupy rice pudding with chocolate). "I was proud of cooking it for everybody. I would feel like a chef every time I cooked it for my family." Favorite kitchen tool His Japanese knives. "I love sashimi hocho knives, specifically yanagi ba–style knives" (the thin, long knife used for sashimi). Favorite cocktail Chilcano De Anís, a drink he had at Malabar in Lima. It's a mix of pisco with anise syrup, fresh ginger and lime. After-hours hangouts Pho 21 for pho in Koreatown. "For some reason, Koreans make really good pho." What he'd be if he weren't a chef History teacher. Chef hero Mark Gregory, chef at Axis at One Aldwych. Favorite cookbook El Arte de La Cocina Peruana, by Tony Custer. It's also available in English as The Art of Peruvian Cuisine. Food & Wine's Editorial Guidelines Updated on March 1, 2014 Print Rate It Share Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: © Con Poulos Total Time: 1 hr Yield: 4 Ingredients 1 small yellow bell pepper One 1 1/2-inch piece of ginger, peeled and chopped 5 garlic cloves, crushed 1/4 cup yuzu kosho paste (see Note) 2 stalks of fresh lemongrass, tender inner white parts only, chopped 1/4 cup yuzu juice 1/3 cup finely chopped cilantro 1 cup canola oil, plus more for greasing 8 boneless skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 pounds) 1/3 cup mayonnaise 2 teaspoons shiro miso (see Note) 2 teaspoons Sriracha Kosher salt Thinly sliced scallions, for garnish Directions Roast the bell pepper directly over a gas flame or under the broiler, turning, until charred all over, 5 minutes. Place the bell pepper in a small bowl and cover with plastic wrap; let steam for 15 minutes. Peel, seed and chop the pepper. In a blender, combine the bell pepper with the ginger, garlic, yuzu kosho, lemongrass, yuzu juice and cilantro and pulse a few times. With the blender on, slowly add the 1 cup of canola oil, scraping down the side, until well blended. Transfer 1/4 cup of the marinade to a small bowl, cover and refrigerate. Pour the remaining marinade into a bowl. Add the chicken and massage the marinade into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate for 3 hours. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, combine the mayonnaise, miso and Sriracha. Season with salt and mix well. Light a grill and brush the grates with oil. Remove the chicken from the marinade and season with salt. Grill over moderate heat, brushing with the reserved marinade and turning occasionally, until the skin is crispy and the chicken is cooked through, about 15 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and let rest for 5 minutes. Slice the chicken and transfer to a platter. Garnish with the scallions and serve with the spicy mayo. Notes Yuzu kosho is a hot, spicy and aromatic Japanese condiment made from hot chiles and ultra-citrusy yuzu zest. Shiro miso is light yellow miso. Yuzu kosho and shiro miso are available at Asian markets and at amazon.com. Suggested Pairing Zippy Vinho Verde from Portugal goes easily with any recipe that contains citrus juice. Rate it Print