Indonesian Ginger Chicken

I was looking for a easy yet delicious ginger recipe to take part in Little Thumbs Up when I came across this Indonesian Ginger Chicken recipe by Ina Garten. Hmm... an Indonesia recipe from a western chef? I was seriously in doubt. Yet the reviews of this recipe were so good that I decided to take a risk and give it a try. 

The first hint that this was going to be a great recipe showed when I mixed the marinade - the mixture of soy sauce, ginger and honey was amazingly aromatic. The chicken is marinated in this sauce overnight (or at least 6 hours if overnight is not possible) - each time I opened the refrigerator I could smell the aroma. I already knew this chicken was going to be delicious. 

The final product was a tender baked chicken coated with a sweet and aromatic sauce. One would expect the sauce to be slightly spicy from the ginger (I was actually worried my kids would not like the strong taste) but there was hardly a hint of ginger on the chicken. I made this for my father who visits for dinner weekly. He liked it and so did my kids - it's still hard to believe this amazing dish was made only using four ingredients.

Indonesian Ginger Chicken (Serves 6)
Recipe by Ina Garten

Ingredients

• 1 cup honey
• 3/4 cup soy sauce (Reduced to 1/2 cup)
• 1/4 cup minced garlic (8 to 12 cloves)
• 1/2 cup peeled and grated fresh ginger root
• 1 large (3 1/2 pounds or about 1.5 kg) chicken, cut into pieces (or 6 chicken thighs)

Method

• 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 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). 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 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). 
• Continue baking for 30 minutes or until the juices run clear when you cut between a leg and thigh and the sauce is a rich, dark brown (You may want to reduce the sauce further to a thickness of your liking on the stove)

This is for Little Thumbs up organised by Doreen from my little favourite DIY and Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids and hosted by Alvin of Chef and Sommerlier at this post.