Honey Sweet Chili Chicken `24
Introduction
This is Mama Miche, and today in My Magic Kitchen: Honey Sweet Chili Chicken
Wait a minute. It's not deja vu. We shared this recipe last year and I say it's worthy of a re-share. It's that good. It's that easy and I hope it becomes a staple on your menu like it is on mine. Perfect for Rosh Hashanah! This recipe is for 4 but it's easy to quadruple for a large gathering.
The catch-all Jewish New Year greeting for the entire season is “Shanah tovah” (שנה טובה), which means “Good year.” The words “u’metuka” (ומתוקה), and sweet, are sometimes appended to the end.
I tell people, quite honestly, that I'm Jew "ish." My Momster wasn't very religious and did not keep a kosher kitchen. We didn't usually go to High Holy Holiday services when I was growing up. Once in a while, we would go to my orthodox Jewish paternal grandparents' synagogue, which was very austere to me. I sat upstairs with the women, separated from the men, as tradition dictates. (Cue music from "Fiddler on the Roof", "Tradition")
It wasn't until adulthood, and honestly, after getting married and having children, that I joined a synagogue, Temple Israel, in Memphis, Tennessee. My children went to their pre-school, and I became an active member of the sisterhood and performed in their Purimspiels and with the ‘Sweet Words of Torah’ choir. The last Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur that Momster was alive, with her among the congregation, I sang a beautiful solo that Cantor John Kaplan entrusted me to perform. She told me through tears afterward that she had never been so proud or heard me sing so beautifully. Somehow, singing in Hebrew in front of the Bima was quite different than all the clubs and venues she'd seen me perform. It's a special memory I hold dear.
You may or you may not know that the traditional foods for Rosh Hashanah are "sweet," like apples dipped in honey, for example, eaten to ensure a sweet year and pomegranates for fertility and abundance. Root vegetables and vinegar are usually avoided to keep the bitterness away for the coming year.
My Momster made a delicious and simple Thai chili chicken that I've zhuzhed up just a little for our family's Rosh Hashanah meal. Served with couscous, roasted chickpeas, and asparagus, it's simple and easy to cook for a larger crowd, so you can enjoy your company and not be in the kitchen cooking all day or night.
To my MOTS "L'shanah Tovah u’metuka and to everyone out there supporting us, Toda, thank you for letting Mama Miche make your kitchen magic.
Tools
Knife
Cutting mat
Mixing spoon
Measuring cups and spoons
Baking dish with cover
Ingredients
Makes 4 Servings
1 shallot
2 large cloves of garlic
1/2 cup sweet Thai chili
½ cup honey
1/4 cup tamari (Note 1)
2 Tbsp Twice Stolen Spice™
4 chicken thighs with bone and skin (Note 2)
A couple sprays of a neutral oil or sesame oil (optional)
Directions
Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 65 minutes
Prep
Preheat oven to 375º
Small dice shallot and garlic, add to baking dish
Add sweet Thai chili, tamari, honey and Twice Stolen Spice™ to the baking dish, mix well
Add chicken to the mixture in the baking dish, coat thoroughly
Cook
Cover dish and place in the oven for 30 minutes
Remove cover and baste chicken with sauce using a spoon or baster
Cook uncovered for an additional 30 minutes, basting chicken a couple of times
Remove from the oven and serve immediately
Notes:
Coconut aminos or soy can also be used
If you do opt for boneless thighs or breast pieces, your cooking time will be much shorter
