This is my new favourite way to eat chicken. Moist, succulent and with a spicy-sweet glaze. Very, very yummy and best of all it’s seriously quick to prepare. The recipe comes from Cooking Light 2004 (my new best friend). I’ve paired it with a similarly yummy side dish of spring onion rice.

Well, I can barely call this a recipe - it’s simply basmati rice cooked for 10 minutes, left to steam over the empty pan whilst the chicken finishes cooking, and then lots and lots of chopped spring onion is forked through. It’s amazingly good and very refreshing with the slight spiciness of the chicken. You could always make it even more colourful with a diced tomato or two in addition to the spring onions.

Hoisin Barbequed Chicken, from Cooking Light magazine

Serves 2
WW points (UK): 4

2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon dark sesame oil
1 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoons water

1/4 teaspoon fine salt
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon five-spice powder
(NB. This makes enough spice rub for four chicken breasts. I just throw away the left-overs.)

2 (6-ounce) skinless, boneless chicken breast halves

Cooking spray

Preheat the grill, and if serving rice put the water onto boil.

While the grill heats, combine the hoisin, honey, vinegar, and oil in a small saucepan; bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Combine cornflour and water; add to hoisin mixture, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat.

Combine salt and the next 4 ingredients (salt through five-spice powder); rub evenly over both sides of chicken. Place chicken on a grill pan coated with cooking spray, and grill 5 minutes. Brush with the hoisin mixture; grill 4 minutes. Turn chicken; brush with hoisin mixture. Grill 4 minutes or until done, basting frequently with the hoisin mixture.