Five Spice Honey Chicken

As I have mentioned many times before, one of my favorite aspects of the Daring Kitchen, other than the really cool recipes I have learned, is the people I have met. Well, not that I have met them in person... but I feel like, through their blogs, the forums, and through other social media through which we have connected, that I have gotten to know some really wonderful and talented people.

One of the awesome blogs to which I have been introduced is Chef In Disguise, which is written by the sweet, wonderful and supremely talented Sawsan. Sawsan's photos are always stunning, her recipes always look and sound mouthwateringly delicious, and she happens to be a wonderful and gracious person, to boot.

A few months back, Sawsan posted a chicken recipe that looked so tasty that I tried it the very night that I saw it.  And it was such a hit that I have made it several times since then.  It is so good, that I just had to share it with you.

The recipe is super simple, and does not have that many ingredients. The only ingredient that might not be standard in all houses is the five spice powder, a combination generally containing anise, cinnamon, clove, peppercorn and fennel. 

The five spice is combined with honey, soy sauce, a bit of rice vinegar and some ground ginger. The best part is that the recipe for the marinade is almost identical to that of the sauce, so I just measure them out at the same time so that I don't have to pull out all of my ingredients and measuring spoons a second time.

To marinate the meat, I simply place the chicken pieces in a gallon sized zip top bag, then pour in the marinade. Once the bag is zipped, I give it a gentle shake and squeeze to make sure that all of the meat is coated, then the bag can rest in the fridge until you are ready to cook.

I bake my chicken in the oven rather than grill it, but I am hoping to talk daddy into trying another batch of this on the grill. I don't think that should be too tough...

While the chicken is in the oven, preparing the sauce was simple, especially considering I'd already measured out most of the ingredients. Once the base of the sauce comes to a boil, just pour in a slurry made from cornstarch and water, then cook it until it thickens.

I serve this chicken with rice, but you can serve it however you would like. I always spoon lots of sauce onto both the chicken and the rice.

This dish is always a hit with everyone in the house. Little miss and little man each eat a whole thigh without complaint, and sometimes even ask for seconds.

So thank you, Sawsan, for this delicious recipe that has become a regular in our house!!




Five Spice Honey Chicken
(from Chef In Disguise)

5 chicken thighs

For the marinade:
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup (80 ml)soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon powder ginger

For the sauce:
2 tablespoons honey
1/4 cup (80 ml)soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 teaspoon five spice powder
1/2 teaspoon powder ginger
1 cup chicken stock
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons water

(the sauce is the same as the marinade, with the addition of the chicken stock, cornstarch and water)

Mix together the marinade ingredients. Place the chicken thighs into a zip-top bag, pour in the marinade and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Drain the chicken and cook on a lightly oiled grill (or grill or barbecue) until browned on both sides and cooked through. I usually just cook mine in the oven at 375 degrees for about an hour, turning the pieces half-way through, and, when I am really on the ball, draining out the liquid with a baster before they are done cooking so that the skin has a chance to crisp up, rather than the meat braising in its own liquid.

While the meat is cooking, combine the sauce ingredients, with the exception of the water and cornstarch, in a small saucepan.
In a separate small bowl, whisk together the water and cornstarch, then pour that slowly into the saucepan with the boiling sauce, stirring constantly. Continue stirring and cook the sauce until it thickens.

To serve, spoon the sauce over each serving of chicken.

Enjoy!