Hot honey chicken with green onion, peanuts and cilantro

This MO Hives-inspired dish is a no-recipe recipe! It doesn't get much easier or more delicious than fried chicken with a sauce made by just mixing together local honey and chile crisp, with a bit of raw garlic for good measure. Topped with chopped green onion, roasted peanuts and cilnatro, this is a dish that delivers complex flavors yet is easy to make and easy to share — it's a great option for a buffet or dinner party.

Pair with: Dry-yet-fruity Vidal Blanc
I paired the hot honey chicken with a crisp, dry Vidal Blanc from Edg-Clif Winery in Missouri, a beautifully aromatic white wine that balanced the flavors of the chicken perfectly. Vidal Blanc, (pronounced vee-dahl blahnk) is a French-American hybrid varietal that is known for its hardiness and ability to tolerate colder climates due to its thicker skin. Vidal Blanc was developed by a French grape breeder in the 1930s and has since found a home in Missouri wine country. This grape is often produced as a single varietal wine that varies from dry to semi-dry, and is sometimes used in blends and produced as a sweet, dessert-style wine.

Hot Honey Chicken with Green Onion, Peanuts and Cilantro

Recipe by: Catherine Neville

Yield: 6 servings

  • 1 ½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts (and/or thighs if you wish)

  • 2 cups buttermilk (or whole milk if you can’t find buttermilk)

  • 1 egg

  • 1 tsp plus 2 tsp sea salt, divided

  • 1 tsp plus 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper, divided

  • 2 cups all-purpose flour

  • 1 Tbsp paprika

  • 2 tsp ground mustard

  • Oil for frying, like peanut or grapeseed

  • ½ cup honey

  • 1 Tbsp chile crisp, or to taste

  • 1 or 2 garlic cloves, mashed

  • Chopped roasted peanuts, to serve

  • Chopped cilantro, to serve

  • Chopped green onions, to serve

| Preparation | Slice chicken into 2-by-2-inch cubes. Set aside. In two medium bowls, mix your wet and dry breading ingredients. For the wet, whisk the buttermilk and egg until thoroughly combined, then season with 1 tsp salt and 1 tsp black pepper and set aside. For the dry, mix flour with the remaining 2 teaspoons salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, paprika and mustard.

Add enough oil to a deep frying pan to come to a 1-inch depth. Heat on medium while you coat the chicken and then turn to low to hold the heat in the oil while the chicken rests.

Working with one hand, dip a slice of chicken into the wet mixture to thoroughly coat, then dredge in the dry flour mixture. If you want extra crispy chicken, repeat. Allow the chicken to rest on a rack for about 10 minutes to allow the coating to adhere.

In another bowl, mix honey with chile crisp and mashed garlic, stirring to combine. Taste and adjust chile crisp if you prefer it to be hotter, adding salt if necessary (because of the variation in chile crisps, some are saltier than others and some are hotter than others).

When the oil is ready, fry the chicken in batches, turning to ensure it’s evenly cooked on both sides. Remove to a rack to drain when golden brown.

To serve, arrange nuggets on a platter and sprinkle with peanuts, cilantro and green onions. Serve hot honey on the side.

Catherine Neville