Caramel Chicken

Chicken. Chicken. Chicken. It can get very boring, overdone and bland. I never order chicken when I go out to eat because it is my weekly staple, so I try to find new recipes and ways to cook it at home. Oh man, this recipe is a WINNER. I saw it on my Instagram feed and initially kept scrolling because of the name- Caramel Chicken. Do not let the name put you off from trying this recipe. You will miss out. This is a new favorite and of course, has Asian flare!

Will and I were both pleasantly surprised once we sat down to eat it. I was not expecting it to turn out as good as it did. This will be made again and again and will probably be my next supper club meal! 

I was worried it was going to be a sweet chicken, but as the recipe states, the sweetness is perfectly balanced by the vinegar and soy sauce. The sauce that is created to go with the chicken is Heavenly. I couldn't get enough and will probably make extra next time! 

I didn't make an adjustments to the recipe. It was perfect.

First batch

Second batch

The sauce bubbles and caramelizes when you add in the vinegar, just keep stirring

Those chucks are the ginger!

Caramel Chicken

Ingredients

3 tbsp vegetable oil
~3 lbs skin-on bone-in chicken legs and thighs (I bought an entire broken down chicken)
Salt
8 garlic cloves, peeled
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 (1/4 inch thick) slices peeled ginger
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
4 scallions, thinly sliced
Cooked white rice (to serve with the chicken)

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large wide heavy pot over medium-high heat.

2. Season the chicken with salt and working in batches, cook it in the oil until golden brown and crisp (about 6-8 minutes/side). Transfer to a plate.

3. Add garlic to the pot and cook until golden (about two minutes). Stir frequently to prevent it from burning. Transfer to the plate with the chicken and pour the fat off from the pot.

4. Return the pot to the medium high heat and add 1/2 cup of water, scraping up the browned bits.

5. Add the brown sugar, stirring over the heat to dissolve. The mixture will thicken and turn a deep amber color after about 5-7 minutes of cooking.

6. Carefully add vinegar- the mixture will bubble up and the sugar will crystallize- stir to dissolve the sugar. Then add the ginger, broth and soy sauce.

7. Add the chicken to the sauce (skin side up) and the garlic. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is cooked through (about 20-25 minutes). Transfer the chicken to a plate.

8. Bring the sauce to a boil and cook until thick enough to coat a spoon (about 10 minutes).

9. Return the chicken to the pot and turn to coat.

Top with the scallions and serve with rice.

The recipe can be found here at Bon Appetit

Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Chicken with 40 cloves of garlic is a very popular recipe that has many different variations. This is a crock pot version which I love because it can be made so easily while you are out running errands or at work. This recipe creates a moist and flavorful chicken with little effort. I highly recommend it for an easy (and healthy!) meal during the week! 

Ingredients

Salt and Pepper chicken

                                    

Roasting garlic (above) Adding in the white wine (below)

Pour it on top of the chicken, then add the rosemary and thyme

Three hours later....

Making the sauce

Crock Pot Chicken with 40 Cloves of Garlic

Cook Time: 4 Hours

Serves: 6

Ingredients

• 5-6 pound chicken
• salt and pepper, to taste
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 40 cloves of garlic, peeled but still whole (about 3 bulbs of garlic)
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
• 
  

Directions

1. Rub the chicken generously with salt and pepper, then place it in the crock pot.

2. Heat your olive oil in a skillet and add the peeled, whole garlic. Cook for about 8 minutes over medium heat until the garlic is golden, then add the white wine. Stir until the liquid has mostly evaporated, another 3-5 minutes over medium heat.

3. Pour the garlic and white wine over the chicken in the crock pot, and sprinkle the thyme and rosemary over everything. Add in the bay leaf. Turn the crock pot to low and cook for 3-4 hours (I did mine for 3 hours. Once the inside of the chicken hits 165 degrees is perfect). When ready, remove the chicken and place on a separate platter, then cover with foil to retain its heat. Set aside.

4. Pour the juices from the pot through a mesh sieve into a pot, then press the garlic through the sieve to form a paste. Cook the gravy with a tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until slightly thickened, about 5-8 minutes. Serve over the chicken. 

I served this with Farrotto with Acorn Squash and Red Russian Kale (also on the blog!)

Adapted from Crepes of Wrath