A couple of weekends ago, we had some guests over and Speedy prepared Silom Sunrise. Fortunately or unfortunately, we ran out of tequila before everyone started to get giggly. A few days later, we bought a new bottle of tequila. I thought I’d baptize it by cooking an entirely new version of drunken chicken.
These chicken legs and thighs were cooked with tequila, grenadine, lime juice, rosemary, star anise, and a little light soy sauce. Where did the inspiration come from? From the bottle of tequila and the cocktail drink that inspired Silom Sunrise — Tequila Sunrise. This is a very simple recipe. There is no bitter taste of alcohol whatsoever because the tequila is allowed to be reduced before the rest of the ingredients are added. Trust me, this one is delicious.
In a non-stick frying pan, lay the chicken pieces skin side down and cook over medium-high heat until the skins start to render fat. Cook until the skins are lightly browned then flip them over to brown the other side. Pour in the tequila, turn up the heat to high, and cook uncovered without stirring until most of the liquid has evaporated.
Add the rest of the ingredients, lower the heat, cover, and simmer for 35 to 40 minutes, shaking the pan occasionally to make sure that the chicken pieces are well covered with the sauce. If the liquid dries up during cooking, add water, a quarter cup at a time. During the last five minutes of cooking, remove the cover of the pan, turn up the heat to high, and cook uncovered until the sauce is thick and sticky. For best results, let the chicken sit in the sauce for an hour or so then reheat, garnish with some snipped cilantro, and serve.