What to do with Hoisin Sauce?

I get tired of eating the same things all the time. That's why I keep a myriad of things in my pantry at all times. Back in September for my husband's birthday I had planned to make a peanut sauce for the chicken. As things sometimes go, I ran out of time and didn't get the sauce made. The guests didn't know they were missing it, so it was ok.  But since then, I've had 2 jars of Hoisin sauce in my pantry that I wasn't quite sure what to do with. (Because I've long since lost the recipe or, more likely, threw it out in a fit of last minute clean up before the party.)  Here's my attempt.

I gathered some items I assumed would be in the mix and then started putting some things together. I have no idea how much of anything, of course. I tend to measure by piles of stuff unless I'm baking - but that's a whole other story.


Preheat your oven to 425. This is going to be a hot one to start.


First, I put coriander seeds, cumin seeds, onion flakes, peppercorns & kosher salt in my mortar & pestle and crushed everything to season my chicken. I had 8 chicken drumsticks in the freezer, so that's what I'm using here. I personally love dark meat. I know it's not the best for me, but it's my favorite. I also leave the skin on, because I love what high heat does to it. Drizzle on some toasted sesame oil, then sprinkle with crushed red pepper and the ingredients in your mortar. You want to be sure you have enough seasoning to make a nice crust on the chicken.

This is only crushed red. Not sure why I don't have a picture of all spices.

After getting the seasonings on your chicken, put it in the oven for about 25 minutes to brown nicely.  We'll work on the sauce concoction what that's doing it's thing.


Honestly, I could have taken the time to look up a recipe for the peanut sauce. If I had though, I probably would have gotten caught up in Facebook or Etsy and my family would still be wondering what's for dinner. So I wing it.


I emptied the Hoisin sauce into a bowl, added a Tbsp of rice vinegar **side note - if you keep lots of kinds of vinegar on hand, you can make almost anything with them. Some are kinda pricey so buy a new one here and there even if you haven't a clue what to do with it.** Then I glopped in a large glob of peanut butter. They looked so pretty together.

Anyway, I added some ginger powder because the last little chunk of my ginger root had gone moldy. :(  I always prefer fresh ginger. It's spicy and wonderful.  I use it in my veggie juice. mmm...carrot, beet, ginger, apple - my favorite combo for juice.  I digress.  Whisk it up until it's nice and creamy. Give it a little taste test.  I added more vinegar at this point because it didn't quite have the zip I was looking for. Adjust it to your liking.  Keep in mind it's going to bake and the flavors will melt into each other.

When the timer goes off on your chicken, pull it out and turn the oven down to 350. See how pretty that is? You can't even imagine how wonderful it smells right now!  Now, sauce it up good, tent it with foil and put it back in the oven for another 30 minutes.


I planned to make rice & veggies to go with it, so let's get on those.  First, the rice.  I know people have a fear of rice, like it's some magical, mystical thing that they can't cook.  I don't understand that. Don't waste money on a rice cooker. Just do a few simple things and leave it alone. It will be wonderful.


The one thing I highly recommend is that you toast it before adding broth to it. Most often, I add butter to the rice when I put it in the pan. This time though, I added sesame oil.  I put the rice in the pan. I don't measure it. I just put the end of the bag in the pan. Lap some sesame oil around it and turn the heat on med-high. DO NOT LEAVE IT. Stay with it to avoid burning it and being really bummed out.

In my mind rice is shaken, never stirred. Give it several good shakes and practice your tossing skills. This will ensure the rice is evenly coated with the oil so toasting will be a cinch. This also helps keep it from sitting too long in one spot with the potential to burn. Plus, it's fun! 

You'll know when it's done. It starts to smell nutty and begins to turn a lovely golden color. 

Once you've done that, add chicken broth to it. Now, my family likes our rice al dente. We don't like the mushiness of the 2 to 1 ratio that most recipes call for. (2 cups water to 1 cup rice) First of all - don't use water! It has no flavor and adds nothing to the flavor. Use chicken broth. I pour enough broth over the rice to cover it by about a half inch above the rice line. Put the lid on it, put it on a med flame and let simmer for about 15 minutes. Please don't use instant rice. Rice is so fast, there's no need for instant. In this case especially, I don't care if it's done before the chicken because I will be tossing it into a skillet before we're done anyway.

On with the veggies. Have a large skillet on hand. I'm using a 12" because I make a mountain of food so we have leftovers for lunch the next day. Drizzle a little bit more of the sesame oil in the pan, but not too much. You've already got it on the chicken and in the rice. You don't want the sesame to overpower the rest of the flavors.  Smash a couple cloves of garlic and toss them in the pan. Be sure you've really flattened them good and pulled their skins off. You want the oils to be really worked up in the garlic.  Here's another time that fresh ginger would have been awesome. The oils/juice of ginger is a fabulous addition to this combo. But alas I don't have it and I don't want the dryness of powdered ginger to play into the veggies.

I'm using sugar snap peas and little sweet peppers. Be sure to pinch off the ends of your peas and pull the stringy parts off. You don't have to, but they're so much better if you do.  I just tossed them into the skillet just as they are, but sliced the peppers into little strips.

I waited until the last minute to turn them on. You want the veg to be somewhat crisp to add texture to the chicken & rice. Now that I have a few minutes to wait...

Then I see the nemesis of the kitchen...

The never ending pile of fabric vying for my attention. And sitting there beckoning me is my prince of the sewing table. FROG.

He serves a few purposes for me when I sew. First, he holds up my sewing machine when I'm changing bobbin thread or dusting under the needle or any other such tasks. Second, he makes me smile when I'm really frustrated. Third, it reminds me FullyRelyOnGod. FROG. He's a prince alright.


OK. I've added turned on the skillet, saute'd my veggies, added the rice & a little dose of fire...

It looks beautiful and smells out of this world. Then I did a bad thing. (Wha wha whaaaa) I put a lid on it and let it sit for the last 10 minutes of World News Tonight. I know, but I love Brian Williams! 


It was still delicious, but my peas went from emerald green to a paler, sadder color. So don't let yours sit! Toss the rice in the skillet with the veggies, mix it up, spoon into a bowl, top with chicken and serve immediately!

Keep the hot sauce on hand for an extra kick! Enjoy your dinner!  Enjoy your loved ones! And thanks for reading!  


Love to all...