Ginger Honey Chicken

I love ginger and use it in practically all my recipes. This is a particular favourite because I can put in as much ginger as I like.  The honey is to balance out the flavour.  It is easy and quick and only one pot to wash up at the end.

I used bone in chicken thighs with skin on but skinless and boneless should be fine, just reduce the cooking time by at least 5 - 10 minutes depending on amount.  Marinate 6 chicken thighs for a few hours with cooking wine, soy or Maggi sauce, fresh ground pepper and dash of balsamic vinegar.  Just before cooking, thinly coat with corn starch.  Slice a chunk of fresh organic ginger into slivers (at least 1 tablespoon or more if you prefer a stronger ginger taste).  Have ready ginger powder, cumin powder, and 1 tablespoon honey - note that ginger powder does not replace fresh ginger as it tastes completely different.

Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high, add ginger, then brown chicken on both sides. By the time chicken is brown, some of the chicken oil would have come out onto the pan.  Drain off oil.  Return to heat, add marinade, enough chicken stock or water to half cover the chicken pieces, add ginger powder and cumin (sprinkle to taste), add honey to the sauce, cover and turn heat down to a simmer.  Flip chicken pieces after 5 minutes and continue to simmer for another 10 minutes.  Check to see if chicken is done after about 20 - 25 minutes from the start of cooking (it varies with the size of the chicken thighs).

When chicken is done, remove from skillet.  Turn up heat to reduce sauce if it is too watery.  The thickness of the sauce is key to keeping the chicken pieces coated for flavour.  Flavour intensifies in leftovers!

Chicken in red wine (Instant Pot or Le Creuset)

Isolation has allowed me more time to revive some timeless recipes in new formats.  This has always been my favourite dish both as a child when my mom or dad were cooking (yes, they both cooked!), when I had a family of five to feed, or now, when I am cooking for myself.

As in the curried chicken, I used air-chilled skinless, boneless, chicken thighs (8 pieces) but bone-in chicken parts would do just as well although I've found that because of the different textures and thickness of the different parts, cooking may be uneven. For example, the breast may get overcooked while the thigh was just right.  So I've found it easiest to stick to chicken thighs which is not as easy to overcook.

The other key ingredient for flavour is dried shitake mushrooms. Fresh shitake doesn't have the same intense flavour as the dried so I wouldn't substitute - I'll cook another dish if I don't have dried shitake at home.  Red wine of course is needed and if you believe the star chefs, you only put the best in (if you can afford to). I just use what I have handy and it was never an issue.  Two onions each cut into 8 pieces.

Remove the stems from the dried shitake and soak thoroughly, overnight or for about 5 hours. Remove from water, dry, marinate with pepper, sprinkle of sugar and sesame oil.  
Cut the chicken thighs into two inch pieces, marinate for a few hours with cooking wine, soy sauce or Maggi sauce, and fresh ground pepper. When ready to cook, add corn starch and mix thoroughly.  In a non-stick pan over medium high heat, brown the chicken on both sides with a few slices of ginger.  Add a cup or more of red wine and some soy sauce to taste when the chicken is browned.

Meanwhile, in the Instant Pot or Le Creuset pot, sauté the onions and the shitake mushrooms.  When slightly browned, add the browned chicken with the red wine.  
For the Instant Pot, turn off sauté, put the lid on, seal, and turn on high pressure cook for 10 minutes. Quick release at the end of the 10 minutes. If the sauce is not thick enough, remove the chicken to prevent overcooking, turn off pressure cook and sauté until it is thick and able to coat the chicken.  This is important because this sauce coating is essential to the flavour of the dish.  If it is too watery, it won't work.
For the Le Creuset pot, put the lid on and stick in a preheated 350 degree oven for 20 minutes.  Remove from oven. Sauce is usually just right, if not, reduce on the stovetop after removing the chicken so as not to overcook.  The sauce should be just thick enough to coat the chicken. This is essential to the flavour of the dish. If it is too watery, it won't work.

Serve with rice.  Also flavour intensifies overnight. Leftover sauce is also super good on ramen or other white noodles.