Sesame Chicken

At a recent barbecue with her family and friends, the Swallow mixed hoisin sauce and lemon juice together, threw in some toasted sesame seeds and poured the mixture over some chicken wings.  After marinating the wings overnight, the tangy taste of lemon was a good compliment for the sweeter hoisin sauce.

SESAME CHICKEN (serves 4)

Sesame Chicken

Ingredients

1 kg chicken mid-joint wings
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
juice of 1 small lemon, about 2 tbsp
2 tsp white sesame seeds, toasted

Garnish - 1 spring onion, chopped (optional) and a sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds

Method

1. Wash and rinse chicken wings.  Drain water away.  Keep the chicken wings almost dry.
2. Combine the hoisin sauce and lemon juice together in a Ziploc bag.  Add the sesame seeds into the sauce mixture. Mix well.
3. Add the chicken wings. Seal the bag and massage the sauce onto the chicken. Place the bag of marinated chicken in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 3 hours, turning the bag over occasionally.
4. Remove the bag of chicken from the refrigerator and allow it to come to room temperature before grilling starts.
5. Place a metal rack in a deep baking pan. Place some water to the baking pan (level of water should cover the base of the baking pan but not touch the metal rack). Place the pan into the oven and preheat the oven (baking function) to 240 degrees Celsius. The oven is ready when bubbles start to form on the water.
6. Place the marinated chicken on the metal rack in a single layer. Set the marinade aside for basting and sauce. Bake the chicken for 10 minutes.
7. Remove the chicken from the oven. Baste the pieces with the marinade, turn them over, baste them again and return them to the oven for another 10 minutes of baking.

   

   The chicken is ready!

8. Change the function from baking to grilling, and grill for another 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, plate and garnish with chopped spring onion and toasted sesame seeds. Allow the meat to rest for about 5-10 minutes.
9. Prepare the sauce (optional) by pouring the marinade and any leftover juices from the baking pan into a saucepan. Bring to a boil and allow to boil down to desired consistency. A mixture of cornflour and water (ratio 1:1) may be added to bring a shine to the sauce. Serve the sauce with the chicken.

Notes for BBQ

Double or triple the recipe or as needed. When grilling over a barbecue pit, ensure the charcoal has become white-ashed before cooking. Cook for about 20-30 minutes, depending on the size of the wings, basting them occasionally with the marinade. Test whether it is fully cooked by poking a bamboo skewer through. Juice should run clear. If possible (may be difficult when it's a BBQ!), allow the meat to rest for a few minutes before consumption.