Ingredients
- 8 chicken thighs and drumsticks from a mixed pack (I used the ‘sauté de poulet this time)
- 3-4 tbsp olive oil
- Sea salt and black pepper
- I head of garlic, cloves separated and skin left on
- A few thyme sprigs
- Splash of cider vinegar
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce (gluten free of course!)
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 lemon, finely sliced
- Bunch of flat leaf coriander, chopped
Preparation
Heat olive oil in a pan that’s big enough to hold all the chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown it in the pan over a high heat.
After a couple of minutes throw in the garlic and thyme and turn the chicken so it browns on both sides.
Once the chicken is nicely browned, add the vinegar, soy sauce and honey and turn the chicken pieces around so they get coated in the sauce. Then add a splash of hot water and the lemon slices and cover with a lid. (I turn down the heat at this point.)
Let the chicken cook through and the liquid reduce down until syrupy – this should take 10-15 minutes. Keep your eye on it and add more water if the pan starts to look too dry. (Note: I’ve never got the liquid to become syrupy and I never have to add more water, maybe because I cook it in a ‘cocotte’ (saucepan). Also, I left it to cook for longer than 15 minutes but it didn’t seem to matter – as long as it’s on very low.)
Stir in chopped coriander and drizzle with sesame oil before serving. (I left out this step this time but I have done it before and it’s very good as long as you like coriander.)
What makes it special?
This Asian food recipe is special for me because it was shared to me by a friend from Spain who learned it at a cooking class in Paris. This story reminds me of the good moments we shared with the international group during the English Conversation class at the Princeton Public Library.
A huge thanks to the teachers and to the staff for making the English Conversation class possible.
Recipe shared by Victoria
Photo courtesy of “Pel’ on the Unsplash photo site.