I will admit when I posted a photo of this on Instagram as it was cooking, I entitled it “Sticky” Soy & Chilli Chicken.  Didn’t quite go as planned but hey!  I’m only human.  The result was not that sticky but I can tell you it still tasted fantastic and the juices from the marinade were so good poured over the chicken and absorbed through the rice.  The fresh, crunchy salad on top completed this winning combo and this was deemed the new family favourite!

You can marinate the chicken all day if you prefer as it will be a lot more moist but this step is optional.

Prep time:  20 Minutes            Cooking time:  25 Minutes               $  Low Budget

Serves 4

4 x chicken breast fillets, lightly scored diagonally on top about 1.5cm apart

2 cloves of garlic, finely minced

1 tbs of freshly grated ginger

1-2 long red chilli, sliced diagonally (seeds removed if you prefer)

2/3 cup of soy sauce

2 tbs of brown sugar

2 tbs of rice wine vinegar

1 tsp of sesame oil

Steamed Jasmine rice to serve

For the Cucumber Salad:

2 Lebanese cucumbers, sliced with a potato peeler, rotating the cucumber (discard the seeds once you get to them on all sides)

2 handfuls of bean shoots

1 cup of coriander leaves

1 cup of mint leaves

1 red chilli, deseeded and finely shredded

1/2 a small red onion, finely sliced top to bottom

2 tbs of toasted sesame seeds

Preheat the oven to 200°C

Combine the soy, brown sugar, rice wine vinegar, chilli, garlic, ginger and sesame oil in a jug and whisk until the sugar has dissolved.  Place the breast fillets in a shallow baking dish and pour the marinade over the top.  Marinate if you have time for the best results.  Place in the oven for 25 minutes, basting the chicken every 10 minutes.

While the chicken is in the oven, peel your cucumber into a bowl and add the bean shoots, coriander and mint leaves, onion and chilli.  Toss well with your hands to combine.

Remove the chicken from the oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes.  Slice each breast on the diagonal (where the score marks are) and place it in a fan like fashion around some steamed rice.  Spoon the marinade from the chicken over the chicken and the rice reserving a little for the salad (1-2 tablespoons).  Por the remaining marinade over the salad and toss gently before placing a generous helping on top of the chicken.  Scatter over the toasted sesame seeds and serve.