Baked ginger and lemon chicken (gà nuong)
One of my favourite midweek meals takes minutes to prepare – sometimes things just have to be that simple. Ginger, tangy lemon, hot chillies and sticky honey are a great combo, and you should have a supply of them in the kitchen to turn simple chicken into something special for those lazy, cosy evenings. You can also use chicken wings or pork ribs but the cooking times will vary.
50 MINUTES | SERVES 4 | EASY |
dried chilli flakes 1 tbsp, plus extra to serve (optional)
ginger 21/2cm piece, finely chopped
soy sauce 6 tbsp
whole chicken thighs and drumsticks 1kg red onions 2, quartered
lemon 1, zested, then sliced into rings
butter 1 tbsp
runny honey 2 tbsp
vegetable oil ½ tbsp
shallot 1 long, sliced
garlic 3 cloves, sliced
TO SERVE
steamed rice greens 320g (such as kale, broccoli and fine green beans)
chilli oil
1 Heat the oven to 220C/fan 200C/gas 7. In a small bowl, mix the chilli, if using, with the ginger and soy. Tip the chicken into a roasting pan large enough that there is a two-finger width space between each piece. Pour in the marinade and stir to coat. Add the onion quarters, then arrange the lemon slices in between the pieces of chicken. Roast for 35 minutes, basting halfway through, until the chicken is tender.
2 Remove from the oven, pour any juices into a small pan, then return the chicken and onions to the oven. Add the butter to the juices with the honey and lemon zest, and cook for a few minutes until it has reduced by a third.
3 Remove the chicken from the oven and evenly pour over the honey sauce, then cook for a further 5-10 minutes or until the juices run clear when the chicken is pierced at the thickest point. Remove from the oven and rest for 5 minutes before serving.
4 While the chicken rests, heat the oil in a medium pan over a medium heat and fry the shallots for 2-3 minutes until golden. Add the garlic, stirring to keep it from burning, then tip in the greens with a splash of water to help them cook. Season and stir-fry for 5 minutes.
5 Serve with extra chilli flakes or chilli oil, if you like, and the steamed rice and green vegetables on the side.
PER SERVING 502 kcals | fat 26G saturates 8.3G | carbs 18.5G | sugars 16.4G fibre 2.1G | protein 47.5G | salt 3.7G