Hoisin & Honey-Glazed Chicken Thighs

Remove the honey from the refrigerator to bring to room temperature. Wash and dry the fresh produce. Peel and roughly chop 2 cloves of garlic. Cut out and discard the core of the cabbage; thinly slice the leaves. Peel the carrots and grate on the large side of a box grater. Thinly slice the scallions, separating the white bottoms and hollow green tops. In a large bowl, combine the sliced cabbage, grated carrots, and sliced white bottoms of the scallions. Roughly chop the cashews. In a bowl, whisk together the hoisin sauce, honey (kneading the packet before opening), and 1/4 cup of warm water. 

In a medium pot, combine the rice, chopped garlic, a big pinch of salt, and 2 cups of water. Heat to boiling on high. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cover and cook, without stirring, 12 to 14 minutes, or until the water has been absorbed and the rice is tender. Turn off the heat and fluff with a fork. 

Meanwhile, in a bowl, whisk together the vinegar, mayonnaise, and as much of the gochujang as you’d like, depending on how spicy you’d like the slaw to be. Add to the bowl of prepared cabbage mixture. Season with salt and pepper; toss to coat. Set aside to marinate, stirring occasionally, at least 10 minutes. Taste, then season with salt and pepper if desired.

Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Season with salt and pepper on both sides. In a large pan (nonstick, if you have one), heat a drizzle of olive oil on medium-high until hot. Add the seasoned chicken. Cook 6 to 8 minutes, or until browned. Flip and cook 4 minutes. Add the glaze (carefully, as the liquid may splatter). Cook, constantly spooning the glaze over the chicken, 2 to 4 minutes, or until the chicken is glazed and cooked through.* Turn off the heat. Serve the cooked chicken (including any glaze from the pan) over the garlic rice. Serve the slaw on the side. Garnish with the chopped cashews and sliced green tops of the scallions. Enjoy!