In her own words: "I am sitting alone one Sunday morning doing nothing in particular. Then an idea hits me from nowhere … what if I could create a book of recipes that were lighter in fat, sugar and calories but that tasted just as good as naughty ones?" — Lorraine Pascale
What we made:
BAKED KITCHEN CUPBOARD CHICKEN WITH LIME, HONEY & SOY (Page 65)
Serves 4
Chicken
8 chicken pieces (either drumsticks or thighs or a mixture of the two), skin removed
8 garlic cloves, peeled and gently crushed
1 teaspoon chili powder
Leaves from 3-4 springs of thyme
Juice of 1 lime
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Glaze
3 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon English mustard powder
½ teaspoon soy sauce
½ teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Zest of 1 lime
Sauce
1 ¼ cups chicken stock
2 teaspoons cornmeal
To serve
A small handful of fresh mint leaves
Cauliflower “couscous” or brown rice with vegetables
Preheat the oven to 452 degrees Fahrenheit.
Toss the chicken pieces in a large roasting pan with the garlic, chili powder, thyme, lime juice and salt and pepper. Lay them out in a single layer and pop them into the oven to bake for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, mix the honey, mustard powder, soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce and lime zest in a small bowl to give a sticky glaze.
Once the chicken has been cooking for 10 minutes, remove it from the oven and brush over half of the glaze. Then brush over the remaining glaze after another 10 minutes of cooking. Pop it back into the oven for the remaining 5 minutes or until the chicken is piping hot in the center and cooked through. Remove from the oven, transfer the pieces to a serving plate and cover with foil to keep warm.
Put the roasting pan on high heat on the stove top. Pour in all but about 3 tablespoons of the chicken stock, stirring all the time and scraping up any yumminess from the bottom of the pan. Blend the cornmeal with the remaining stock to give a smooth liquid and pour this into the pan, stirring constantly. Let this bubble away for 2-3 minutes or so, stirring occasionally, until reduced and thickened. The sauce may have a few lumps, which you can just sieve out before serving if you like. Season to taste and remove from the heat.
Serve two pieces of chicken per person with a little sauce poured over and a scattering of mint leaves on top. This is delicious served with my cauliflower “couscous” or some brown rice with vegetables.
Our assessment:
The particular combination of pantry spices, fresh herbs and honey makes this chicken particularly good. But the star is the sauce. Be sure to let the pan drippings along with the chicken stock (I used homemade) and the cornmeal paste thicken and get nicely brown.
I took this dish to work to share. Here’s what fellow editor Michelle Fong thought: “This chicken has a really unique flavor — the perfect blend of sweet and spicy. This is something I would definitely make for family and friends.”
Web bonus: Watch me make this recipe and get the recipe for Cauliflower 'Couscous' with Chili, Sesame & Mint at MyDaytonDailyNews.com.
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