Simply the Best Chicken - Recipe by Koji Cooks

This is a super chicken recipe, easy to prepare, I always brine my chicken overnight in a solution of 1 tablespoon of sugar + 1 tablespoon of kosher salt, 1 small sliced lemon or lime plus enough water to cover, covered and refrigerated over night. I'm using drumsticks and thighs in this recipe which I debone after brining but before marinating, the deboning makes it faster to cook and easier to eat but it is not a necessary step. Any cut of chicken will work perfectly. I'm serving this one with a halved pan seared peach, blanched green beans, plain jasmine rice and homemade tomato jam - recipe follows. For ease I often partially cook and assemble my entree's to be finished just before dining - as pictured.

SIMPLY THE BEST CHICKEN

BEST CHICKEN - Recipe (serves 4)

four boneless brined chicken thighs - or use 8 to 2 each.

four drumsticks

MARINADE

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons mirin

2 tablespoons sherry or sake

2 teaspoons sesame oil

2 teaspoons peeled grated ginger

2 teaspoons minced garlic

METHOD

Mix the marinade ingredients together in a small saucepan and heat over medium until the sugar dissolves, cool to room temp, I throw in a few ice cubes (as pictured) to speed up the process. Combine with chicken, cover and refrigerate 6-8 hours. Remove chicken from marinade, heat a skillet over medium-high, pan spray with oil and cook chicken thighs five minutes a side, 10 minutes for drumsticks, rolling as they cook. Preheat your oven to 400, place the chicken on a foil lined baking sheet and bake until just done 8-10 minutes. The drumsticks will take longer, maybe 20 minutes more.

TOMATO JAM

3 cups coarsely chopped tomatoes

3/4 cup sugar

3 tablespoons cider, rice or white vinegar

zest of one lime or lemon

1 tablespoon peeled, grated ginger

1/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

METHOD

Combine in a small saucepan, bring to simmer over medium-high and cook. stirring for 5 minutes, allow to cool to room temp and pulse process. This stuff is good on anything! Refrigerate leftover jam.

CHICKEN AND TOMATO JAM