Its time to put aside the turkeys, ham roasts and eggnogs (at least for the next 12 months) and let’s bring on the Oriental flavours with a bang. Whilst Christmas food makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside, Chinese food strangely makes one want to talk real loud and hit up the karaoke system. Yes it’s a stereotype, but it’s true.
One trend during CNY is house-hopping, where people speedily catch up with old friends, play card games or mahjong, collect angpows and eat your food. With the amount of people going in and out, sometimes there’s only so much food and time you have to cook up a meal which everyone will love.
Here’s a simple recipe that both adults and children will love: the Festive Golden Five Spice Chicken that’s as easy as ABC. This recipe serves 8 people and takes 1 and a half hour to cook out of which 15 is the preparation time.
You will need:
8 chicken thighs and 8 drumsticks, skin on
3 spring onions , shredded, to finish
4 tbsp groundnut oil
6 garlic cloves , finely chopped
finger-length piece fresh root ginger , grated
4 tbsp Shaohsing rice wine or dry sherry
4 tbsp light soy sauce
4 tbsp clear honey
4 tsp five spice powder
Method:
Whisk together the marinade ingredients, put the chicken into a dish, then pour over the marinade, mixing to coat. Cover, then chill for at least 20 mins, or up to a day if you have time.
Heat oven to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4, and lift the chicken out of the marinade into a roasting tin.
Roast for 40 mins, pour over the remaining marinade, then cook for a further 30 mins until golden and sticky.
Sprinkle with the spring onion, then serve.
Recipe from Good Food magazine, February 2009 by Chef He Huang.
