Indonesian Ginger Chicken
When searching for a meal to deliver to friends in deep sorrow, I turned to my collection of Ina Garden cookbooks (because Ina would never steer me wrong) and landed on Indonesian Ginger Chicken from The Barefoot Contessa Cookbook. In the process of paging through this classic gem, I stumbled upon a line in Ina’s introduction that resonated with me so many years ago. “Food is not about impressing people. In fact, it’s just the opposite: it’s about making them feel comfortable.” I love this approach to food and entertaining so much that it is always my goal when serving friends inside and outside of my home. If you make simple, approachable food taste really good everyone can relax and smile, if only for a little while.
I prepared Indonesian Ginger Chicken with plain Basmati Rice, knowing that there would be plenty of sauce from the chicken to spoon over, and Broccolini Sautéed with Garlic and Oil. You will notice in the photo that I added some carrots to the chicken. Completely unnecessary but they provide some color and an additional vegetable for the meal. If you would like to do the same, peel and cut carrots into 2-inch long pieces and blanch in boiling salted water for about 4 minutes. Drain and add to the chicken pan for the last 30 minutes of cooking (after you flip the chicken and raise the heat).
I promise that if you give this recipe a try, it will become a family favorite. One that you can make with staples from your pantry and eyes closed, which is all the better to feel the warmth from your table. Enjoy!
Indonesian Ginger Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 c honey
- 3/4 c soy sauce low sodium
- 1/4 c minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
- 1/2 c peeled and grated fresh ginger root
- 2 3.5 lb chickens, quartered, with backs removed skin on, bone in
Instructions
- Cook the honey, soy sauce, garlic, and ginger root in a small saucepan over low heat until the honey is melted.
- Arrange the chicken in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan, skin side down, and pour on the sauce. Cover the pan tightly with aluminum foil. Marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
- Preheat the oven to 350F. Place the baking pan in the oven and bake for 30 minutes.
- Uncover the pan, turn the chicken skin side up, and raise the temperature to 375F. Continue baking for 30-35 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown.*