Salt and Five Spice Powder Chicken
Simple pan-roasted chicken with the sweet, spicy, savory taste of 5-spice powder and crunchy salt.
You know you’ve got them…way in the back of your spice drawer: Spooky spices...those herbs, spices or rubs that are getting dusty because you’re afraid (or don't know how) to use them.
I could hardly WAIT for this month’s Recipe ReDux which is all about finding ways to use those spooky spices.
You see, I've got several spooky spices: Jerk rub, catfish seasoning, lemon pepper...the list goes on. But I ended up using 5 spice powder - I love the sweet, savory, bitter, spicy scent but I never get around to digging up a recipe to use it.
So for this recipe, I decided to take the 'spooky' theme to all the creepy corners of my cupboards.
I found these noodles from a Chinese market:
I know exactly why I haven’t used them: Not a single word of English on the label, not even the ingredients list. Were they rice or soy noodles? How should I cook: boil or just set in hot water to cook?
In addition to my spooky cabinets, I have several dusty cookbooks (mainly beautiful glossy coffee table ones I’m too afraid to get messy) so I thought they might be a good place to start for inspiration with 5 Spice Powder and those mysterious Asian noodles.
So I grabbed a dusty cookbook that I adore thumbing through but have NEVER cooked from: Donna Hay's Flavor. Hay is famous for her brilliantly beautiful food styling that’s also stunningly simple. Donna had three recipes with 5 spice powder, but none that combined chicken and questionable noodles. But they did give me inspiration for Salt and 5 Spice Powder Chicken.
I would like to say it was fabulous the first time. But I’m afraid it was my second recipe #fail in as many posts. (See the first #fail from last week.)
The chicken skin got burnt big time a bit too crispy:
Luckily, chicken skin is easily removed.
For the second batch, I kept it burnt free and it was amazing - the combo of crunchy salt plus that complex spice. My kids even loved that it was sweet and just a bit spicy.
Oh, and those spooky noodles? They were basically flavorless but they were super fun: Clear as glass, but with tiny bubbles in them; wide and chewy and the slipperiest noodles EVER. They were waaaay too much fun for the kids and me to slurp.
Just don’t ask me to buy them again - I have no idea in which Asian grocery I purchased them years ago.
Salt and Five Spice Powder Chicken
- Yield: 6 servings 1x
Description
Simple pan-roasted chicken with the sweet, spicy, savory taste of 5-spice powder and crunchy salt.
Ingredients
- 1 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice powder
- 2 teaspoons sea salt, ground fine with mortal & pestle (or kosher salt)
- 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
- 6 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs (about 2 ÂĽ pounds)
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- Chinese rice or soy noodles, cooked
- Kale, cooked in ½ cup chicken broth and garlic until tender
- 1 lemon, wedged
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 400°F. In a small bowl, mix together 5-spice powder, salt, pepper.
- Place chicken on plate and sprinkle 5-spice powder mixture over both sides of chicken.
- Heat oil in a 12" cast-iron or heavy nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Place 4-5 thighs in skillet, skin side down, and cook 2 minutes. Reduce heat to medium; continue cooking skin side down, until skin is golden brown, about 6-8 minutes.
- Transfer skillet to oven and cook 5 more minutes. Flip chicken; continue cooking until skin crisps and meat is cooked through, about 5 minutes longer. Transfer to a plate; let rest 5 minutes before serving with noodles and kale and a wedge of lemon to squeeze over everything. Don't forget the lemon!
What spooky spices or unused ingredients are lurking in the back of your pantry? Please share and maybe we can give you a recipe recommendation!
If you like this recipe, you may like those below and all the spooky ones from our Recipe ReDux friends.
Chinese Baked Lemon Chicken with Sesame Rice
How to Make Gluten Free Chicken Nuggets (or non-gluten free)
I love how you embraced all things "spooky" in this challenge from the cookbook used, the noodles from the pantry and the 5 spice powder.
Good for you for trying the noodles, too. They even look a little creepy. Glad you all enjoyed them!
Hi Serena
I don't have any 5 spice in my pantry at the moment, but this recipe looks like it's worth buying. I love all of these flavors and it looks so simple. I suppose that's the beauty of spice mixes. If we could only remember to use them! xx
Those noodles look magical- I need to find some of my own 🙂
Love how you totally embraced this months theme w/ your recipe! I've hot some rarely used 5 Spice Powder too. Bug that's going to change-can't wait to make this!
Thanks EA! I know I even started a pin board for 5 spice powder...want to use. But don't. Now i did!
Chinese 5 Spice powder isn't one of the spices in my cabinet, but I do know that a little goes a long way ;). Love all the bold, complex flavors! When I do my annual spice cleaning/replenishing come January, I should be wiser in what I choose to purchase. With a spice like this one, flavorful meals can come together in minutes! Haha love the addition of spooky noodles as well. They cook up super fast, don't they? Yes, flavorless but oh so chewy!
You are soo good to do the spice cleaning. Bet your spices don't get so dusty, then right, Min?! #Brilliant
I need to make (or buy) some 5-Spice!
GREAT point Rebecca, you can make it. Check out the link to TheKitchn in my post.
Chinese 5 Spice- got it in the pantry, never used it...until now! Thanks for the great idea.
I was actually surprised how much my kids liked the sweet spiciness of it Elizabeth!
I'm glad I'm not the only one who has experience with #recipefail! Love the 'glass' noodles. I'll bet your kids did have a fun time with them. 🙂
Loved spending time with you at FNCE. We should do it again soon!
Thanks so much Janice. When are you coming to St. Louis?! So great to see you at FNCE.
Those are flat mung bean noodles! I love stir frying them with a bit of soy sauce or making noodle soups with them. That chicken looks fantastic!
Oh my goodness, oh my goodness! Thanks so much Lisa!!!! I'm so, so happy to know what they are! Now I can look for them again....and now I know exactly what to do with them. Sounds like a yummy recipe. Thank you!
I love your story about the noodles...I have a similar bag in the back of my cabinet, Miracle Noodles, I think? and they have been there forever. I have no idea what to make with them either lol!
Very nice! Maybe, too much salt?...
I love the way you show us your thought process and how you burnt the chicken! That's valuable lesson espeically for beginner cooks! Keep on writing!
Ha Ha! Thanks for stopping by DJ. Enjoy the chicken!