Sweet and Sour Sesame Chicken

Who has two thumbs and likes a dish that doesn’t require that you stand by the stove for any extended period of time.

This girl!!!!

Don’t get me wrong, I love sautéing and stirring and grilling and frying and all of those other things that require you to stand by the stove forever and ever. But sometimes it’s nice to have the ability to chat and have a glass of wine while dinner is cooking.

Especially when you have company.

So this was perfect for last week’s dinner when Albert and I had our friends Tommy and Brett (also siblings) over for dinner. We got to drink and catch up and talk sh*t to each other about who is more of a loser for living at home, all while dinner was cooking away.

I vote Albert as the biggest loser because he has no job.

No matter who the bigger loser is, this dish was a winner. And perfect for you to be hands free while having these heated debates.

You will need…

2 cups orange juice

1 cup pineapple juice

2 tablespoons orange zest

2 tablespoons minced garlic

2 tablespoons minced ginger

2 tablespoons minced green onion

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1/2 cup soy sauce

½ cup mirin (sweet rice wine)

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes

12 chicken drumsticks (skin removed)

Salt and pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped cilantro leaves

¼ cup toasted sesame seeds

Start by preheating your oven to 375 degrees F.

Then, in large sauté pan over medium-high heat, add the orange juice, pineapple juice, orange zest, garlic, ginger, green onion, sesame oil,  soy sauce, mirin, sugar and red pepper flakes.

Bring the pan to a boil and stir occasionally (ever 5 minutes are so) until the sugar is dissolved and the liquid has reduced to a thick syrup. About 25-30 minutes.

While the sauce is reducing, place the chicken in a casserole dish and liberally with salt and pepper.

When the sauce is nice and syrupy, drizzle the glaze over the chicken.

Cook the chicken in the oven until the chicken is cooked through and caramelized. About 40-45 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the oven and put it on a platter. Garnish the chicken with the fresh chopped cilantro leaves and sesame seeds. Drizzle the chicken with the remaining glaze and serve.

Who cares who lives at home when the food is this good?

Love and Beer Floats

Angela