Sticky honey and soy chicken

I friend of mine keeps asking for more savoury recipes, seeing that he does not have sweet tooth.  So here is my current favourite barbeque recipe.  Next time you have a barbecue, you have to try this 6 ingredient marinade recipe.  The original recipe is from Cook with Ina Paarman, the first cookbook she published.  The first time I made it was years ago when I catered for a matric farewell, it is an easy recipe if you are cooking for a crowd.  Since then I have simplified it slightly.  I normally use the marinade on chicken wings, but this weekend I tried it on deboned chicken thighs, the result was truly outstanding!  Don't be lazy and buy deboned chicken.  It is really expensive and normally without the delicious skin.  It is actually quite easy to debone chicken thighs.  Don't worry if you end up with a few bits and pieces, you can always skewer it all together and make lovely kebabs!  And remember to keep the bones.  You can use it to make stock or chicken soup.  Also try the recipe on spare ribs or grilled pork chops.

The quantity below will be enough for 24 chicken wings or deboned thighs.

125ml honey

62.5 ml light soy sauce

1 mild fresh chilli, sliced

a chunk of fresh ginger, around the size of your thumb, grated

10ml NoMU chicken fond (or else 10ml good quality powdered stock)

30ml sunflower oil

Heat all the ingredients, until the honey is melted.  Add to the chicken and refrigerate overnight.  See hints below. Bake at 200 degrees for 30 minutes, turning once or twice or alternatively, cook on the bbq over hot coals for 20 - 30 minutes.

HINTS

Place the chicken and marinade in a zip lock bag and shake until all the chicken are well covered.  Refrigerate overnight, shaking once or twice.  It is much easier to use a plastic bag instead of a container!  

If you skewer a few pieces of chicken together, it is much easier to turn on the grid. 

Aroz de Galinha

There was a time when I was so hooked on this one dish Portuguese chicken recipe, that we ate it each week.  It is dead easy and very quick, but still very hearty.  I'm sure you can add mushrooms or green peas, but I like it as is, with only a green salad on the side.

8 chicken thighs or 10 drumsticks

salt, black pepper and smoked paprika

1 large onion, sliced
1 cup rice

2 1/2 cups chicken stock

juice and zest of 1 lemon

handful of olives, pitted and halved and Italian parsley, to serve

Season the chicken generously with salt, pepper and smoked paprika.  Heat some oil in a deep frying pan or shallow casserole and saute the onions until soft.  Add the chicken, skin side down, and fry until nicely browned; turn.  Add the rice and stir to coat in the fragrant oil.  Add the stock, juice and zest.  Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Switch of the heat and let it stand, covered, for 10 minutes.  Garnish with olives and chopped parsley.  Serve with lemon wedges on the side.

Pears in red wine

I just love fruit for dessert, and in winter this is one of my favourites.  It always looks impressive and is so easy to make.  Even though my husband hates cooked fruit, he loves the syrup over ice cream.  You can also try using white wine or even muscadel or port, but then reduce the sugar quantity, else it will be too sweet. 

6 firm pears

1 bottle fruity red wine

100 ml honey

100 g brown sugar

half a vanilla pod, split open

3 pieces of cassia

1 star anise

Peal the pears, leaving the stalks intact. Slice a thin piece from the bottom of each pear to make them stand up. Combine all the ingredients in a large pot and heat until the sugar has dissolved.  Add the pears and simmer until tender. They do not need to stand up while cooking and do not need to be completely covered, rather make sure that you turn then once in a while so that all the sides obtain the same colour.  It will take around 20 - 30 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the pears.  Remove the pears.  Now, turn up the heat and cook the sauce until syrupy.  Add syrup to the pears and cool.  Serve with ice cream or cream.