BITTER HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN
Glazed chicken is a dish made by coating chicken in a sweet, savoury or tangy sauce that forms a glossy finish as it cooks, creating a balance of flavour while helping to keep the meat juicy and tender. The technique of glazing meat has roots in many culinary traditions around the world, particularly in Asian cuisines, where ingredients such as soy sauce, honey, ginger, garlic and rice wine have long been used to create rich, flavourful coatings. Over the years, glazed chicken has evolved through the introduction of new flavours and cooking methods, including barbecue, buffalo, lemon and honey mustard glazes, as well as modern fusion recipes.
Which is where I come in with a bitter honey glaze. The base of the glaze is quite simple with butter, honey, lemon and garlic, but the addition of angostura bitters really gives it a dynamic savoury hit that’s unlike anything else. For non drinkers, do not stress the alcohol gets cooked out, and the result is malty, citrus notes and a sticky toasty bitterness that is so lovely on the palate. The glaze is almost gravy like in body once finished, and the whole feel of the dish is similar to a Japanese chicken curry which i love, but with a stickier and more tangy hit.
BITTER HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN
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BITTER HONEY GLAZED CHICKEN 〰️
Time: 30 minutes
Serves: 2-3
1 table spoon extra virgin olive oil
2 table spoons plain flour
4 pieces chicken thigh, boneless
60gm butter
60gm honey
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lemon, zest & juice
1 table spoon angostura bitters
Salt, to taste
Serve with:
Cooked rice of choice
Curly spring onion shoots*
Place non stick pan on medium high heat and allow to come up to temperature. Dust the chicken thighs in plain flour and shake off excess. Add in olive oil to hot pan before placing down chicken skin down and browning to a deep caramelisation. Turn and repeat the same with other side (4-5 minutes per side).
Once browned remove chicken from pan reduce heat to low and add in butter, honey, minced garlic, lemon zest, lemon juice, angostura bitters and a big pinch of salt. Mix together and allow the glaze to come up to a gentle simmer before adding the chicken back in. Raise heat to medium and cook the chicken simmering in the glaze for around 10-12 minutes or until cook through, spooning the glaze over the top as it cooks. Remove chicken from pan and place to side for 5 minutes to rest and remain juicy.
Once chicken is removed, reduce the glaze for a couple more minutes to the glaze gravy desired consistency before seasoning with salt to taste, but it will need a fair bit to balance the acidity. I then like to pour the glaze through a sieve to catch all the bits for a smooth sauce, pushing the liquid through the sieve if thick.
NOTE: If your glaze splits, don’t stress, this can happen sometimes. Cook the chicken in the glaze as it says above and once removed, whisk in small spoonfuls at a time of warm water, whisking as you go off the heat. Continue this until you get the consistency you like and the glaze smoothly comes together and then run it through the sieve.
To serve, slice the bitter glazed chicken into pieces and place on top of serving of rice. Top with spoonfuls of the glaze gravy over the top before topping with curly spins onion shoots.
*Thinly slice the larger deeper green colours part of the spring onion shoot into very skinny matchsticks before placing in iced cold water to curl up.