Char Siu Chicken

One of the mainstays in our rotation is this char siu chicken from Andrea Nguyen’s Vietnamese Food Any Day: Simple Recipes for True, Fresh Flavors. Simple, straightforward, sweet and savory – each bite offers a perfect balance of tender meat and sticky, fragrant glaze that lingers with warmth and subtle spice. This is also good even at room temperature so I usually make two batches – we pack the rest for lunch the following day.

I served it with wild rice and a simple salad using whatever greens I had on hand and some tomatoes. To match the chicken, I used a Thai salad dressing with fresh lime juice, vegetable oil, fish sauce, sugar and minced garlic.

Serves: 4

Prep Time: 20 minutes + at least 30 minutes to marinate the chicken

Cook Time: 6-10 minutes

Ingredients:

1 ¾ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 large garlic clove put through a press or minced and mashed

¼ tsp Chinese five spice powder

2 tablespoons honey, preferably amber colored

2 tablespoons brimming hoisin sauce

1 tbsp ketchup

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

Directions:

1. Pat the chicken thighs with paper towels to remove excess moisture, then trim and discard any big fat pads. If the thighs are large or super-uneven in thickness, butterfly each one. Lay the thigh, smooth-side down, on your cutting board. Wielding your knife horizontally, slash the big mound of flesh to create a flap of meat, stopping just shy of cutting all the way through. Fold back the meat flap that you just created. The thigh should now be about 50 percent longer and relatively even in thickness. If the result seems awkwardly large, cut it crosswise into two smaller, square-ish pieces. Set aside.
2. In a large bowl, stir together the garlic, five-spice powder, honey, hoisin, soy sauce, ketchup, and sesame oil. Remove about half the marinade and set aside for glazing the chicken. Add the chicken to the bowl, coating the pieces well. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes, or refrigerate up to 24 hours (return to room temperature before cooking).
3. Lightly oil a cast-iron stove-top grill pan and set over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and cook for 6 to 10 minutes, turning several times. To test for doneness, pierce the flesh with the tip of a knife; the chicken is cooked when clear juices flow out. During the last 2 minutes, when the chicken feels firmish, baste with the reserved marinade to freshen flavor and add sheen. (Alternatively, prepare a medium charcoal fire or preheat a gas grill to medium and cook the chicken for 10 to 12 minutes, basting during the last 3 minutes.) Transfer to a platter and let rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving.