The Ultimate Sticky Licky Citrus and Lavender Chicken
Hellooooo my Boozy friends! I trust everyone is doing fantabulous. Today, I have to share with you the ultimate STICKY LICKY Lavender Chicken EVER!! Just think for a moment…. Citrus, Lavender and Honey with a slight boozy twist (a touch of white wine of course…) do I need to say anymore?! I am actually sorry that I experimented with this recipe, as this is the only sticky chicken my hubby wants to eat. For us, sticky chicken is a must, when we are taking a road trip!
Every year when we go down to PE for our annual holiday, we always make a stop down at the Knysna Heads. Relaxing at the sea and enjoying some sticky chicken along with few other tasty morsels. This is the ultimate sticky licky chicken as padkos. This recipe promises to add a whole lot of wonderful new memories. Just remember to pack in those wet wipes. You will need them!
I am a HUGE FAN of Rachel Khoo, I love her quirky little french kitchen and she takes french cooking to an entire different level. Basically she simplifies french cooking and adds a modern twist.
Her inspiration for this Lavender Chicken recipe came from the Lavender fields in Provence. According to her, it is an absolute spectacular sight to see and a must if you are ever visiting France.
Seriously, can I actually use Lavender in cooking?
Yes you can!! Lavender is in fact very similar to Rosemary. If you are looking for that little touch of femininity to your cooking this is the way to go. A word of CAUTION! You can’t use any/all types of Lavender. Some will work better (or should I say taste better) than others. What I understand (in plain and simple English terms) is the English Lavender is better to use in cooking than the French Lavender.
Apparently, the French Lavender has more of a Camphor taste where the English is more sweeter. Guessing by this it would be correct to say that nobody wants their food tasting like Vicks Vapour Rub. In my humble opinion keep the French lavender for the powder room.
Secondly, unless you have lavender growing in your garden, it is best to use culinary lavender. Please don’t try using cosmetic or ornamental lavender, who knows what they add to it. A few people on the internet has commented that they used a non culinary lavender, although they didn’t die, they did feel a little funky. So folks, please stick to the culinary version as it is more safer to eat.
Thirdly, a little does go a very long way. Ideally stick to the quantities that is recommended in the recipe or if in doubt… best to be a little light handed. I am sure you don’t want your food tasting like your granny’s soap.
My Boozy Twist to Rachel Khoo’s Lemon and Lavender Sticky Chicken
I got a little inspired with this recipe, obviously I would add a boozy touch. You can never go wrong with adding a touch of wine. Instead of just adding the juice/zest of a lemon I also included the juice and zest of an orange.
The original recipe calls for a quarter cup (60ml) of honey, I don’t know how much I used, but it was definitely way more than the 60ml the recipe required… in the end I am assuming a 100ml but could even be more. Who knows?
The secret to this recipe is that you need to let it rest or marinade for a minimum of 4 hours. Little trick is to put all the ingredients together just before you go to work. This way the chicken can also do some work and soak in these delicious flavours of the lavender sticky chicken. Mine was about 8 hours in the fridge. Allow those flavours to really sink deep in the chicken, because you WILL want that extra flavour.
You know the aroma’s that was coming from my oven, I wish I could bottle it up and all you need to do is press a “F Key” and it will release what ever aroma you are reading about. It had such a beautiful floral aroma going through the house.
Just thinking of it makes my mouth water. Well, the only way you can experience what I am talking about is you have to make it yourself. 😛
Serve this with either some crusty artisanal bread or mash potatoes to soak up that delicious sauce and a lovely fresh green salad. This is the ultimate summer dish!
The perfect wine to go with this dish would be a Chenin Blanc. You will want one that has a lovely fresh and clean flavor. Chenin Blanc is great for cutting through sweetness and spice (lavender has a pungent flavour). I would say maybe a Spier 21 Gables Chenin Blanc. For something a little different you can opt for a Chardonnay from Creation Wines as it contributes to the fragrance of the lavender and complimenting the honey.
Bon Appétit !!!
Calories
Carbs
Save RecipeIngredients
- 1 whole chicken jointed or 8 to 10 pieces of chicken
- 45ml dried lavender
- good drizzle of olive oil
- 100ml of white wine
- 6 sprigs of lemon thyme
- 100ml raw honey (you can go a little bit more if you like or a little less. The more the better)
- zest and juice of one lemon and one orange
Instructions
- To make the marinade, crush the lavender using a mortar and pestle.
- Add the lavender, oil, honey, thyme, lemon and orange juice, the citrus zest and wine to a bowl.
- Mix all the ingredients together.
- Place the chicken in a large glass or plastic container.
- Pour the marinade over the chicken.
- Make sure all the chicken pieces are well coated.
- Cover and leave to marinate for 4 to 8 hours, turning the pieces over half way.
- After the chicken has marinated well, pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.
- Put the chicken and marinade into a roasting tin and sprinkle with a generous pinch of salt.
- For good measure give another good drizzle of honey and few sprinkles of lavender flowers.
- Roast the chicken in the oven for 45 minutes to 1 hour, turning the chicken around halfway.
- To check the chicken is cooked thoroughly pierce the chicken with a skewer in the thickest part of the flesh.
- If the juice is clear you can take it out and allow for it to rest.
- If the juice is pink or bloody it is not cooked. Put back in the oven and continue to cook until the juice is clear.
- YOU DO NOT WANT TO EAT RAW CHICKEN. YOUR BODY WILL THANK YOU!!
- Serve the chicken with a delicious home baked bread or mash/boiled potatoes and a delicious crunch green salad.
- Wine Pairing – You can never go wrong with a Chenin Blanc. Make sure it is perfectly chilled. Perfect for summer!
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