Type5: five-spice chicken with roasted plum sauce

ingredients
Five Spice Rub:
2 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon five-spice powder
1 teaspoon granulated garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon pepper
Roasted Plum Sauce:
1 red onion sliced into 1/2 inch rings
1 lb plums (red-fleshed, soft and juicy!) cut into 1/2 inch thick wedges (4 extra-
large plums, 6 medium or 8 tiny plums)
4–6 cloves garlic
3 thin slices ginger, about the size of a quarter, the peel is OK.
2–3 tablespoons olive oil
2- 2 1/2 lbs chicken thighs– bone-in, skin-on (5-6 thighs). or see notes for
substitutions.
1 tablespoon peanut or olive oil
Plum Sauce Seasonings:
3 tablespoons soy sauce (or GF liquid aminos)
1–3 tablespoons water (optional)
1–3 teaspoons honey, maple syrup or a prune- see notes!
1/2 teaspoon pepper
pinch cayenne- optional
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar (optional)
Garnish: chives, scallions, or cilantro
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instructions
Preheat oven to 450F.
Make the Five-Spice Spice rub. Mix the ground five-spice, salt, granulated garlic
and pepper in a small bowl.
Roast the plums: Slice the onion and plums and place in a 9 x13 inch baking dish or
edged sheet-pan. Add the whole garlic cloves and slices of ginger and drizzle with
oil generously to coat. Toss well and place in the hot oven. Check at 15 minutes,
(set a timer) toss, lowering the heat to 4ooF.
Prep the chicken: While the plums are roasting, cook the chicken. Pat dry the
chicken and coat all sides generously with the Five-Spice Rub seasoning.
Pan-sear Chicken: Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat and once hot, pan
sear the chicken skin-side-down until golden and slightly crispy, about 8-10
minutes, checking heat and lowering if browning too fast. Turn over and sear the
other side 3-4 minutes.
Nestle the chicken over the roasting plums. (See note below) If the plums look
especially ready to come out ( juicy, roasted with tender garlic and very tender
onions), feel free to lower the heat even further, down to 375. Basically, it all
depends on how fast you cook your chicken. 🙂 If it takes a while to get the
chicken seared, your plums may already be done and ready to come out. Use your best
judgment here. The chicken will need 15-20 minutes of roasting time. You can of
course finish cooking the chicken separately if the timing is off and plums look
done.
When the chicken is cooked through (165-170F), remove it from the oven and set the
chicken aside, covered. Let the chicken rest 5-10 minutes while you blend the Plum
Sauce.
Roasted Plum Sauce: scrape out the plums, onions, and all the juices and browned
bits from the pan into a blender. Add the soy sauce and pepper. Blend until silky
smooth. Add a little water to loosen the sauce -1 to 3 tablespoons or more. Blend
again. Taste. Add honey and vinegar to taste. All plums have different levels of
sweetness and tartness. For example, I added 1 tablespoon honey and 1 teaspoon
vinegar. If your sauce is too sweet, add more vinegar, if too tangy add honey. If
too salty, add more water. For a bit of a kick add chili flakes or cayenne.
Place the Roasted Plum Sauce in a saucepan and gently warm over low heat until
ready to serve.
Ladle some roasted plum sauce on a plate, top with the chicken, and garnish with
scallions, chives, or cilantro.
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