This one-pan braise relies on kumquats and turmeric-ginger honey to infuse chicken thighs with bright sweet-and-sour flavors. Lemon juice adds tartness, while lemon zest and grated ginger enhance the dish with intoxicating fragrance. A generous amount of cooked-down onions melts into the braise, delivering mellow sweetness to the sauce.
You’ll wind up with more flavored honey than you need for the recipe; use the remaining honey in tea, drizzled on cottage cheese or yogurt, or in smoothies.
Storage: Store the turmeric-ginger honey in a lidded jar at room temperature for up to 3 months. Refrigerate the braise for up to 4 days.
Where to buy: Kumquats can be found at well-stocked supermarkets.
Ingredients
Servings: 4–6
Directions
Active:
40 mins|
Total: 1 hour 20 mins
-
Step 1
Make the spiced honey: In a small bowl, stir together the honey, turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, vanilla, lemon zest and pepper until well combined. Transfer to a lidded jar and store until needed. You should have about 1/2 cup.
-
Step 2
Make the chicken: Thoroughly pat the chicken dry all over, and season both sides generously with salt and pepper.
-
Step 3
In a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat, heat the oil until shimmering. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook without moving until the skin is golden brown and the chicken releases easily from the pan, 5 to 8 minutes. Flip and cook until golden brown on the other side, about 4 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
-
Step 4
Add the onions to the pan, and season with a pinch each of salt and pepper. Add the water, and use a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions have reduced in volume by about half and are very soft, about 10 minutes. If the pan starts to look dry, add another splash of olive oil and adjust the heat as needed.
-
Step 5
Add the kumquats, cilantro, ginger, garlic, lemon zest and honey to the pan and stir to combine. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the broth and lemon juice, scraping up any remaining browned bits from the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
-
Step 6
Return the chicken, and any accumulated juices, to the pan, nestling it into the liquid. (If the braising liquid doesn’t come halfway up the sides of the chicken pieces, add more broth to make up the difference.) Cover the pan and cook until the chicken is cooked through and tender, 35 to 45 minutes. (It should register at least 165 degrees on an instant-read thermometer when inserted into the thickest part of the thigh without touching the bone.)
-
Step 7
Serve the chicken and sauce over rice, garnished with cilantro and lemon wedges.
Substitutions
No kumquats? >> Chop 2 small, tart clementines (peeled, if you prefer) for a similar flavor profile.
Prefer white meat? >> Try bone-in, skin-on chicken breasts, reducing the cooking time by about 10 minutes.
Dislike cilantro? >> Use parsley.
Notes
To remove the seeds from kumquats, gently squeeze the sliced rounds and the seeds should pop right out.
