Grilled Chicken Thighs with Sauce Au Chien

1. 1

   Start a grill or preheat the broiler.

2. 2

   Meanwhile, prepare the sauce: Combine the garlic, scallions, chile, 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and pepper, the allspice, and oil in a small bowl.

3. 3

   Add 1/2 cup of boiling water; stir and let sit.

4. 4

   Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper and grill or broil it, turning 2 or 3 times, until it is cooked through, about 15 minutes.

5. 5

   Taste the sauce and add more chile, salt, pepper, or allspice if needed.

6. 6

   Stir in the lime juice (which must be added at the last moment to retain its freshness).

7. 7

   Serve the chicken hot or at room temperature, passing the sauce at the table.

8. 8

   Serve the sauce with grilled fish or shellfish, especially shrimp; grilled ribs (or in fact grilled pork of any kind); or any grilled poultry.

9. 9

   Add some chopped capers to the finished sauce to vary the flavor.

10. 10

    Scotch bonnet pepper, with its fierce heat and distinctive flavor, makes this sauce more authentic.

11. 11

    But a small amount of Asian chile paste is fine, as is any other source of heat.

12. 12

    If you have the patience to mince or grind allspice berries, the sauce will taste brighter; preground allspice will do the trick as long as it is reasonably fresh.

* Per serving · 4 servings · Values may vary.