Bourbon Street Chicken

When I saw the name of this recipe I got so excited, because I love bourbon and the idea of chicken and bourbon together was a divine thought.  But, as I was reading through the recipe I realized that this chicken dish is called Bourbon STREET Chicken, named after Bourbon Street in New Orleans and discovered that there was no bourbon in the recipe at all. 

So… I added some.
  This is purely an option, but it did kick up the flavor of the sauce a bit.  I tasted the sauce with and without it, they were both delicious.  But to be honest, I don’t think the bourbon was that important.

The original recipe called for cut up chicken breast, but I think that thighs would work well too.  I had 4 wings, 4 drumsticks and a bone in chicken breast in my freezer that were leftover from whole chickens that I have preped, so that’s what I used and it worked well.  But the next time I make this I think I will try it with the cut up chicken for a quick 30 minute, one pan meal.

The sauce is sticky with a slightly sweet and spicy flavor.  And I mean slight...  I would and did serve this with a bottle of sriacha hot sauce on the side.   All the chicken parts surprisingly finished cooking at the same time leaving plenty of sauce in the bottom of the pan to dip and dab your chicken into.  The wings soaked up the most flavor, with a finger licking stickiness to them.  The drums had a meatier (taste like chicken) feel  and the breast cooked up perfectly juicy.

The sauce had a good feel to it and I liked the way it stuck to the chicken, but the flavors weren't as balanced as I would like.  If you have another version of Bourbon Street Chicken please pass it on.

Drizzle chicken with oil and season with salt & pepper.

Bake in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes to brown.

Place chicken pieces in a casserole dish.

Pour sauce over chicken and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-40 minutes (baste half way through) or until cooked through. 

BOURBON STREET CHICKEN

2              pounds                 chicken, cut into bite size pieces

1 – 2       Tbsp.                     olive oil

                                                salt & pepper

SAUCE;

2              cloves                   garlic, minced

1              tsp.                        fresh ginger, minced

1              tsp.                        red pepper flakes

¼             cup                         apple juice

1/3         cup                         golden brown sugar

2              Tbsp.                     ketchup

1              Tbsp.                     cider vinegar

½             cup                         water

1/3         cup                         soy sauce

1              Tbsp.                     cornstarch

1              Tbsp.                     bourbon (optional)

Place all the sauce ingredients into a med. sized pot.  Whisk to blend and place over med-high heat; stirring occasionally until it comes to a boil and thickens.  Remove from stove and set aside.

IF USING BONELESS CHICKEN -  Cut into bite size pieces.  Heat a skillet over med-high heat, add oil and brown chicken; season with salt & pepper.  When the chicken is browned; add sauce and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to a simmer and cook uncovered for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.

IF USING BONE IN CHICKEN – Place the chicken on a sheet pan and drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper.  Arrange so that the pieces are in a single layer and don’t touch.  Place in a 500 degree oven for 15 minutes to brown and remove some of the fat.  Flip chicken half way through to brown the other side. 

Lower the oven heat to 350 degrees.  Remove chicken from the oven and place in a casserole dish.  Pour sauce over chicken and return to the oven for another 30 - 40 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.