Coq au Chine

Ingredients for 4 servings:

• 2 stalks of lemongrass
• 1 lime(s)
• 125 ml chili sauce, sweet
• 250 ml rice wine
• 2 tbsp oil
• 4 chicken thighs, cut at the joint
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp five-spice powder, or more to taste
• 1 tsp salt
• 6 spring onions
• 1 large red bell pepper(s)
• some cherry tomatoes, to taste
• 150 g bacon, streaky, with rind, in one piece
• 4 tbsp oil

Instructions

Working time approx. 30 minutes; Rest time approx. 12 hours; Cooking/baking time approx. 45 minutes; Total time approx. 13 hours 15 minutes

For the marinade: Clean the lemongrass and cut into 3-4 pieces. Press each piece firmly with a broad knife. Wash the lime in hot water, grate the zest, and squeeze out the juice. Mix the lime zest and juice with the lemongrass, chili sauce, rice wine, and oil. Make several diagonal cuts in the skin-side of the chicken pieces, toss with the marinade, and let marinate overnight. Preheat the electric oven to 175 degrees Celsius. Clean the spring onions and cut into 3 cm long pieces. Set the white parts aside. Cut the peppers into strips or diamonds, and halve the tomatoes. Mix the flour with the 5-spice powder and salt. Remove the chicken pieces from the marinade, pat dry, and toss in the flour mixture. Set the marinade aside. Heat the oil in a large saucepan. Fry the bacon until crispy all over, then remove. Brown the chicken pieces all over in the remaining cooking fat. Add the white spring onions and fry for 1 minute. Add the marinade, bacon, bell peppers, tomatoes (if desired), and the remaining spring onions. Cover and cook in the oven for 30-35 minutes. Remove from the oven and let it rest on the stovetop, covered, for another 10 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bacon into wide strips and return it to the chicken. Serve with pasta or rice. It’s even more flavorful with rice; I prefer plain white long-grain rice, unsalted (the sauce is flavorful enough). Green tagliatelle looks good, too.