Chicken with mumbo sauce: The intersection where black cookin', culture meets Chinese takeout precision

I'm a big fan of mumbo sauce - partly because it is so similar to my hometown, Chicago's, mild sauce - but this version strikes a new chord. There are various layers of sweetness, spice and acidity, with the latter coming in the form of pineapple juice, apple cider vinegar and lemon juice; as well as savory and fermented notes - rarely found in other versions I've tried - thanks to soy sauce and gochujang.

At Marcus DC, the kitchen sous-vides the chicken so it is moist throughout. (At home, you can accomplish similar results by baking it at 275 degrees for about 2 hours, until it is cooked through.) It then gets brushed with the sauce and put in a scorching hot oven. "The high heat is really going to create a caramelization that really helps to make it even more delicious and sticky," observes Marcus Samuelsson, the Ethiopian-born, Swedish-raised chef and proprietor of Marcus DC.

A salad of radicchio, herbs, cooked and raw carrots, and dukkah - a Middle Eastern blend of nuts, seeds and spices - adds freshness and texture. "Texture is such a big part of cooking. I think home chefs sometimes don't realize how much we as chefs are inspired by creating different textures," Samuelsson said. "They're kind of like our speakers. If you go to a music concert, it wouldn't work without the speakers."

As he finished up the salad and remembered the chicken in the oven, Samuelsson was struck by an idea: "You know what? I'm going to lacquer it again … because the sauce is really everything on this." And I couldn't agree more. The depth of flavor and kick of heat in his sauce put it in a class of its own.

For my version, I focused on the star of the show - the chicken - and made a few modifications to make it weeknight-friendly. For starters, I opted for my favorite cut, bone-in, skin-on thighs, and cranked up the oven heat for a shorter cooking time while still ending up with moist, juicy meat. For the mumbo sauce, I scaled down the yield, reducing it by more than three-quarters, and pruned the ingredient list ever so slightly. (My version also eliminates the need for a blender.) When it was time to brush on the mumbo sauce, I opted for a triple coating to make the chicken, per Samuelsson's description, "even more delicious and sticky."

"Yes, it's chicken, but it's also making food that everybody has a relatability to and making it just a little bit better, improving it. That for me is key in so many dishes," Samuelsson said. And in that regard, this lip-smackingly delicious bird certainly delivers.

Roast Chicken Thighs With Mumbo Sauce

These roast chicken thighs, lacquered with a sweet and spicy mumbo sauce, are inspired by a dish at chef Marcus Samuelsson's Marcus DC restaurant in Washington. The sauce is a staple of the city's takeout joints, but Samuelsson's version has layers of flavor that take it to new heights. Use the extra on just about anything, including hamburgers and hot dogs, grilled or roasted proteins, and fried chicken or french fries.

SERVINGS: 3-6

ACTIVE TIME: 30 mins. Total time: 45 mins

Storage: Refrigerate the chicken for up to 4 days. Refrigerate the sauce for up to 2 weeks.

WHERE TO BUY: Gochujang can be found in well-stocked supermarkets, Asian markets or online.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken:
• 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (3 pounds total), trimmed of excess fat, if desired
• Fine salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

For the mumbo sauce:
• 1 teaspoon neutral oil, such as canola or peanut
• 1 tablespoon minced or finely grated fresh ginger
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/2 cup pineapple juice
• 1/4 cup gochujang (see Where to buy)
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce, preferably reduced-sodium
• 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
• 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice (from 1/2 lemon)
• Fine salt

DIRECTIONS

Make the chicken: Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees. Line a large sheet pan with foil or parchment paper, and set a wire rack on top. Pat the chicken dry, and lightly sprinkle both sides with salt and black pepper. Transfer the thighs to the wire rack, skin side up and evenly spaced. Roast for 30 to 35 minutes, or until the skin is somewhat browned and crisp, and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of each thigh away from the bone registers at least 165 degrees. Make the mumbo sauce: While the chicken is roasting, in a medium (3-quart) saucepan over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the ginger and cook, stirring once or twice, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds. Add the ketchup, pineapple juice, gochujang, sugar, vinegar, honey, soy sauce and cayenne pepper, and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer, and cook until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens slightly, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice. Taste, and season with salt, as desired. You should have about 1 1/2 cups.

Glaze the chicken: Remove the chicken from the oven. Carefully raise the rack 5 to 6 inches away from the broiling element, and preheat the broiler to HIGH. Brush the chicken with some of the mumbo sauce and broil for 1 minute, or until the sauce bubbles on the skin of the chicken. Repeat twice more to build up a nice glaze. (It's okay if the chicken chars in spots, but keep a watchful eye. You will not use all the sauce.) Serve hot, with the remaining sauce on the side, or reserve it for another use.

Substitutions:

• Pineapple juice >> orange juice.

• Granulated sugar >> brown sugar.

• Apple cider vinegar >> white wine vinegar or rice vinegar.

• Honey >> agave or maple syrup.

• Soy sauce >> tamari or coconut aminos.

• Gluten-free? >> Use gluten-free tamari and gluten-free gochujang.

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