a peek inside the fishbowl

It’s been awhile since I’ve written a “will they eat it” post here on the Fishbowl… mostly because I’ve been cooking up the same dozen recipes over and over. I felt like it was high time to get out of my rut so I poked around for a new chicken recipe that might win my family over. And guess what. I DID IT.

I liked the sounds of this slow-cooker recipe and made a few little adjustments here and there.  Most notably, I made the sauce and tossed it in a big zip-loc back along with the chicken the night before. (Woot!) By shifting my prep time to the night before I saved myself some time in the kitchen the next day as well as garlicky hands and cooking smells that I can’t really stomach before I’ve had my morning coffee. :)

This shot is from lunch the next day:

Seriously. This is my new favourite recipe. Make ahead! Slow cooker! Lots of leftovers that actually Tastes Good.

Anyway, this is my version of the recipe:

• 1kg. boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 5) I bet this would work with tofu too! Hmm.
• 1/2 cup honey
• 1/3 cup soy sauce
• 1/4 cup chilli sauce
• 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
• 1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
• thumb-sized knob of fresh ginger, finely chopped
• 1 Tbsp garlic, finely chopped
• 1/2 small onion, finely chopped
• freshly ground pepper (to taste)
• 2 Tbsp corn starch
• 2 Tbsp cold water
• sesame seeds, for garnish
• green onion, for garnish

1) Combine the honey, soy sauce, chilli sauce, hoisin, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, onion, and pepper in a bowl, stirring well to combine. Add chicken and toss to coat. At this point you can either put it all in the fridge until the next day (which is what I did), or throw it all in the slow cooker.

2) Once you’re at the slow-cooker stage, cook for 4-5 hours on high or 8-10 hours on low. Remove the chicken to a plate and cut into pieces. (I liked the original author’s suggestion of shredding it, so that’s what I did.)

3) Combine the corn starch and cold water together in a small bowl. Set aside. Using a ladle, transfer the sauce from the slow cooker to a small saucepan set to medium-high heat. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for a few minutes until it thickens.

4) That’s it! Dinner is ready to go.

I put the shredded chicken and the sauce out in the kitchen – buffet-style – along with some cooked rice, a mixture of lightly sautéed broccoli and snow peas, and the garnishes.

Everyone enjoyed dinner and mum was happy she found something new to add to her family’s dinner repertoire. A big success!