Rice is part of almost every Vietnamese family meal, and cơm gà nướng mật ong puts it on one plate with honey grilled chicken and a sweet-sour cabbage salad. The rice is fried with garlic and turmeric, then cooked in chicken broth. It takes a fair amount of time, so it’s a dish for a weekend meal with family or friends. Plan ahead: the chicken marinates for 2–3 hours, or overnight if you have time. The rice soaks for 30 minutes and the chicken grills for 40–45 minutes. Ingredients For the rice 2 bowls rice 2 bowls chicken broth 3 cloves garlic 1 teaspoon turmeric powder 1 tablespoon cooking oil For the grilled chicken 4 chicken thighs Salt, pepper, sugar and minced garlic 1 tablespoon salted butter 1 tablespoon honey For the salad ½ cabbage (400–500 g) 1 carrot Vietnamese mint Salt, sugar and pepper For the dressing 2 tablespoons fish sauce 2 tablespoons sugar Juice of ½ lime Sliced chilli (optional) How to make cơm gà nướng mật ong 1. Marinate the chicken Rub salt all over the chicken thighs, then rinse them in water 2–3 times and leave them to dry. Marinate with salt, pepper and minced garlic for 2–3 hours. For more flavour, leave them overnight. 2. Grill the chicken with honey butter Melt the butter, mix it with the honey and brush it over the chicken. Leave for about 10 minutes. Set the grilling oven to 200 degrees with both top and bottom heat. Grill the chicken for about 20 minutes, then pull the tray out, brush on more of the honey butter and put it back in. The total grilling time is 40–45 minutes, depending on how big the thighs are. 3. Make the salad Shred the cabbage finely, wash it and leave it to drain. Mix in 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 teaspoon salt and wait until the cabbage softens, then pour off the water. Peel the carrot, cut it into thin, fine strips and toss it with a little sugar. Wash the Vietnamese mint and chop it. For the dressing, mix 2 tablespoons fish sauce, 2 tablespoons sugar and the juice of ½ lime and stir well. Add sliced chilli if you like it spicy. Squeeze the cabbage and carrot to get rid of most of the water and put them in a bowl. Pour in the dressing and mix well, then add the Vietnamese mint and some pepper. Taste and adjust: it should be a little sour, a little sweet and salty. 4. Cook the rice Wash the rice 2–3 times and soak it in water for about 30 minutes. Peel and mince the garlic, and bring the chicken broth to the boil. Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a pot, add the garlic and fry until fragrant. Stir in the turmeric, then add the rice and fry for about 5 minutes. Pour in the hot broth; it should come about 1 cm above the rice. Stir, and let it boil for about 1 minute over medium heat. Turn the heat down low, cover the pot and cook until the rice is soft. Open the lid now and then to stir, so all the rice cooks through. 5. Serve Spoon the rice onto a plate and serve it with the cabbage salad and a piece of grilled chicken. Share:
