Spicy-Sweet Asian Style Chicken

My lovely daughter flew in today from California to visit dear old dad — among others.  As the guest of honor she was allowed to select what Chef Dad would make for dinner.  She asked me to cook something Asian, so I went with this spicy-sweet marinated chicken as the centerpiece for a plate of far eastern favorites.

This recipe will make 8 moderate servings or 4 lumberjack-sized portions:

• 1/3 cup rice wine vinegar
• 6 tbsp. honey
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• ¼ cup sesame oil
• 3 tbsp. Asian chili sauce
• 3 tbsp. minced garlic
• 8 chicken breast halves or boneless thighs
• Sliced green onion
• Sesame seeds

In a mixing bowl, whisk together all ingredients except the chicken, onions  and sesame seeds to form a marinade. Pour half into a large zipper bag with the chicken, squeeze out the air, and seal it up tight.  Let it marinate in the refrigerator for at least an hour, turning it over occasionally to make sure all of the chicken is well coated.  When you’re ready to cook it up, preheat your oven to 425.

In a saucepan, bring the other half of the sauce to a boil, and cook it for about 5 minutes to thicken, stirring frequently.  Arrange the chicken in a 9″ x 13″ baking dish, and brush the top with some of the sauce from the pan.  Bake 30-45 minutes until the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165.  Bring the remaining sauce back up to a simmer for a couple minutes, then pour it over the cooked chicken.  Garnish with the green onion and sesame seeds, and you’re in business.  Serve it up with your favorite Asian style side dishes — the ones in the picture below can be found in my earlier post, Maple-Soy Glazed Salmon.  As always, I hope you will enjoy this dish as much as my family did.  Until next time:  Eat well, my friends!