Whether you’re making a juicy steak or just roasting up some chicken, we know that seasoning the meat before you begin is an absolute must. It helps add dimension to the dish from stage 1 as well as tenderise the meat and improve flavour. A liberal hit with the salt shaker will penetrate the protein and make sure the natural flavours shine through.
Another huge factor in cooking tasty meat is getting a good char on the outside. This process takes place thanks to a nifty scientific reaction called the Maillard reaction that occurs when the right amount of heat, moisture and time come together in a pan, the proteins and sugars in a dish fuse together and form an edible pigment molecule called melanoidins which are responsible for giving cooked food a darker colour.
Since it’s the natural sugars in meat that help get that coveted dark crust and delectable smoky flavour, it seems like we’ve all been missing a very obvious addition to the meat seasoning spectrum. Sugar. A little bit of sugar sprinkled in the pan or added to the marinade of a meat dish can help speed up the browning process and as a natural tenderiser it starts working on breaking down the meat before it even hits the heat.
In addition to this, it plays with a universally loved flavour balance of sweet and savoury. Where the umami notes play with the sugars bringing out the best in each other. Serve it up with something acidic and fresh like a salad and you have yourself an unbeatable combination
Below is one idea to try out the effects of sugar on the chicken, but this process works well on most meats (except fish), so start experimenting!
Ingredients:
- 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- ¼ cup packed brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
- ½ teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon dried thyme
- ¼ teaspoon dried basil
- Salt and pepper to taste
Method:
- Preheat the oven to 200 degrees C.
- Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper.
- Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large oven-proof skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken, skin-side down, and sear until brown, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove chicken to a plate.
- Melt the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter in the skillet, stirring to loosen any browned bits on the bottom.
- Add garlic; cook and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Stir in brown sugar, honey, oregano, thyme, and basil until well combined.
- Turn off the heat and return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side down.
- Roast in the preheated oven until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and the juices run clear, 25 to 40 minutes.
- Drizzle pan sauce over chicken thighs when serving.