Honey Ginger and Grapefruit Goo (photo by Paul Stallings)
One of the things that is incredibly rewarding about the expat experience is finding products unique to China that you love. As I find these, I’ll be sharing them with you. There’s my first.
Honey Ginger Tea
This jar of goo looks a bit odd, and I would never have pegged it as tea except that several friends had shown me grapefruit tea of the same makeup: goo and fruit slices in a jar. You take a bit of the goo, add hot water, and suddenly you have a very tasty tea. Now, the ginger one I’m currently enjoying isn’t for everyone; it’s quite strong. But being an extreme ginger lover, I have found it particularly delicious this week as I’ve been fighting a cold. What better to drink than hot water with honey and ginger?
The great thing about this goo is that it also makes a great topping for chicken. Again, this recipe is not for the faint-ginger-hearted; it was too strong in the ginger department for my husband. But I found it delicious and amazingly easy. Here’s the gist:
This technique is based on a recipe I absolutely love for apricot-glazed pork, found here on the Hidden Valley website. You simply bread some boneless chicken (I cut them into medium-sized chunks) with bread crumbs and (optionally) some seasoning (I like ranch seasoning). Then, put the meat in an appropriately-sized pan, spoon some of the honey ginger goo over the top, and bake until the meat is cooked through (for chicken, I usually bake it for about 30 minutes). The result is a gingery sauce covering the meat. Serve with some mashed potatoes and vegetables, both of which will also taste delightful in the sauce.
I know, the recipe lacks specific details, but that’s because giving you temperatures and times will probably not help; if you’re living in China, you’re probably baking in a small-ish toaster oven or at least using an oven that is less-than-predictable when it comes to temperature and time anyway. Experiment a bit with it; that’s how I figured it out in the first place. Or, if you’re feeling extra-adventurous, try the recipe with the grapefruit goo or another tea goo that you find at your local grocery store. Post your variations and let me know how your ginger chicken turns out!
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