sticky chook

I think most people have had chinese soy chicken before, with its lovely sticky glaze.  I came across this recipe when perusing some Rick Stein cookbooks at the Bates' house in Taupo.  My Mum always used to make a mean version of this, so I thought it was worth giving a try. 

Last night the ingredients were thrown together.  It was super easy and all the ingredients were in the cupboard or fridge, so no having to make a trip to the supy just to make dinner.  Happy days!  I've make a note of where I altered an ingredient, due to lack of the original, but I don't think Rick will mind. 

6 chicken drumsticks
1 small lemon
1 tsp cayenne pepper (or chilli)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp olive oil
5 cm piece peeled fresh ginger, finely diced
3 tbsp honey
4 tbsp HP sauce (I didn't have this)
3 tbsp red wine vinegar (I used balsamic)
1 tbsp worchestershire sauce
2 tbsp tomato sauce
2 tbsp tomato puree (I used paste)
4 tbsp soy sauce
4 cloves garlic, finely diced

1. Preheat oven to about 180 degrees celcius. 
2. Place chicken in oven-proof dish.  Squeeze over the juice from the lemon, the oil, cayenne (just sprinkle this to taste) and salt.  Grate the lemon zest over top. 
3. Put all other ingredients into a bowl and mix into a smooth sauce.  Brush over the chicken on both sides. 
4. Cook for about 35-45 minutes, taking out periodically to brush with more sauce.  Once chicken is cooked through, serve with rice, mash, or couscous. 

NB: I served this with rice (add cumin seeds at the same time as the rice, that's REALLY good) and a green salad.  The jus from the chicken made for tasty goodness on the rice.