Sticky lemongrass and lime chicken

This chicken and its marinade are a little addictive. The sticky, salty and spicy ingredients taste so fantastic together. Don't waste any of the marinade. Reduce it over low heat in a small saucepan to make a heavenly sauce for your chicken at the table.

What you'll need

Serves four

8 chicken thighs, bones removed, skin on. Alternatively use 12 chicken drumsticks or 4 chicken breast.

For the marinade/sauce

2 tablespoons honey, plus one tablespoon extra

2 stalks young lemon grass, bruised with the back of your knife, and chopped finely (or if you don't like to eat lemongrass, leave it in large pieces and you can remove it from the sauce before you eat it)

2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely chopped

3cm-sized piece of ginger, peeled and grated

Juice and zest of 2 limes

1 teaspoon chilli powder (or more if you like it spicy)

1 tablespoon tap water

What to do

Combine all the marinade ingredients, reserving the extra tablespoon of honey for later, in a large bowl. Mix well to combine. In a large plastic container with a tight-sealing lid, place the chicken pieces. Pour over the marinade. Fit the lid, making sure it seals well, then give the container a good shake to coat the chicken (or you can do the same in a plastic, zip-lock bag). Put in the fridge for at least one hour or overnight to marinate.

To cook, preheat the oven to 160 degrees Celsius. 

Remove the chicken from the marinade and place it in a lined baking tray. Reserve any left-over marinade for basting the chicken during cooking.

Cook for 30 - 40 minutes, until the chicken is brown and sticky. For the last five minutes of cooking, drizzle the reserved honey over the chicken for extra stickiness and sweetness. Cook for a further five minutes.

Remove from the oven. Place the chicken pieces on a serving plate and serve while hot. Squeeze over some extra lime juice if you like. Serve with rice or  quinoa and salad.

*If there is leftover marinade, you can pour it into a small saucepan, and reduce it over low heat for 10 minutes to make a lovely, sticky sauce that can also be drizzled over the chicken at the table.