Sake/Soy Chicken

Two weeks ago, I finally opened our magnum-sized bottle of sake that we received from family a few years back. I have some recipes that call for 1-3 tablespoons of sake, but with amounts like that, it'll take forever to get through my bottle. I was really happy when I found a recipe for Crispy Skin Sake Chicken with Ginger Sauce because the marinade requires one cup of sake. I'm finally going to make a dent in our bottle of good sake! Well...kind of...

When Hubby came home from work, he said the house smelled great. When he asked what I was making, I nonchalantly answered, "Crispy 'Snake Skin' Chicken." You should've seen the look on his face! I had to explain that every time I glanced at the recipe title, my crazy eyes kept reading "Crispy Snake Skin Chicken." Yum, right? Haha! I suppose I can't knock it till I try it. :)

Hubby loves skin-on, dark meat chicken so he really enjoyed this meal. I'm not a fan of chicken skin but it worked well for this dish. Crispy skin, tender chicken and a wonderful garlicky soy flavor. Great stuff!

I baked with the skin side up.

For best results, don't crowd the chicken.

Care to try Crispy "Snake Skin" Chicken? LOL! It's DELICIOUS!

Sake/Soy Chicken

Yield: 6 servings, 2 pieces each

Ingredients:

• 3-4 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs and/or legs (KEY= skin-on)

marinade:

• 1 c sake
• 1 c soy sauce
• 2 tbs garlic, minced

Directions:

1. Mix sauce ingredients in ziploc/airtight container used for marinating the chicken. Add the chicken, cover and marinate 8+ hrs or overnight.
2. SLOW cooking method (1 - 1 1/2 hrs) - Preheat oven to 350F. Place chicken (without the marinade) into roasting pan and bake for 1 hr. After initial hour, check every 15 mins until skin is golden and crispy. Since my chicken was a little crowded in the dish, I broiled it for 3-5 mins to give the chicken a final "crisp." Watch carefully to avoid burning the chicken and/or skin.
3. FAST cooking method (45 mins - 1 hr) - Preheat oven to 500F. Place chicken (without the marinade) into roasting pan and bake for 30 mins. Reduce temp to 350 and bake for another 15-30 mins. Chicken is done when it's golden and the skin is crisp. If your chicken needs a "final crisp," broil 3-5 mins till golden brown.

Source: Adapted from Week of Menus