Let’s get something straight: Canadians do not say ‘aboot’.
There, I said it. First sentence sounds all controversial, that’ll get ‘em riled up.
I have never met a single Canadian who says ‘aboot’. The media has been lying to you.
We DO say ‘aboat’. Like, I gotta see a guy about a boat. Sound the same.
We also say ‘sorry’ more frequently than the international average, put ‘eh’ where it rightfully belongs in a sentence (at the end, for acknowledgement of something we both agree is true – it’s right some cold out, eh?), and we wear toques. Not ‘beanies’. Beanies have propellers.
But there is one Canadian stereotype that is very true. Above all others.
We freaking love our maple syrup.
There are maple sugar candies, maple cookies, maple glazed doughnuts, maple butter, maple spread, maple fudge, maple salad dressing, maple ice cream, OF COURSE over pancakes, and the classic: maple snow.
SUPER COMPLICATED SECRET RECIPE FOR MAPLE SNOW: heat maple syrup. Drizzle on the fresh snow. Scoop up with finger and eat.
My mum refers to it as liquid gold, and every year for Christmas, Santa would bring us an enormous container. Every year we promised it would last a long time; every year it was gone by March, even when she kept it in the freezer.
So when this delicious recipe made it through the family (as recipes do), we knew we had to give it a maple twist. Originally made with corn syrup, I find the maple adds another quality to the flavour besides just sweetness. Plus it feeds my maple addiction (maplediction?)
And it’s SO EASY. I know I say that about everything. I like easy recipes, what can I say? But this one… this one is so simple, and yet so flashy, people will be begging you for the recipe.
Set your oven to 350° and mix your maple syrup, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl. The vinegar will help to cut the sticky maple syrup a bit and make it easier to stir.
Then, add your margarine (or butter). If the rest of your ingredients just came from the fridge, the margarine will solidify a bit and look kind of gross. It’s okay. Embrace the gross. If your ingredients are room temperature, it should mix in nicely with everything else. I was just a flake and forgot to take things out of the fridge this morning.
See? Gross. But DELICIOUS.
Place your chicken thighs and drumsticks in a high-sided, 9×9 inch pan, and drizzle that sauce all over it. Then stick it in the oven and wait for 1 ½ hours, flipping the chicken about halfway through (gotta make sure it’s all coated in sauce!). If you want them to look really nice, I always start with the bottoms (the ‘messy side) up, so that when you flip it the tops get a really beautiful brown glaze.
And done! See, I told you it was easy! This recipe is the best because it’s so simple, and yet so delicious. It’s perfect for guests, or if your schedule is busy, or both!
And it smells so freaking amazing.
Mmmmmmmmmaple….
It blends so wonderfully with the soy sauce, it’s like they were made to be together.
Everyone needs more saucy chicken in their lives.
Enjoy! What about you? What’s your favourite maple syrup dish?
- 1/2 cup maple syrup
- 1/4 cup melted margarine or butter
- 1/4 cup vinegar
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 12-15 chicken thighs and/or legs
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Preheat the oven to 350°
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Mix maple syrup, margarine, vinegar and soy sauce in a bowl, and drizzle over the chicken.
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Bake in the oven for 1 1/2 hours, flipping the chicken over after about an hour.
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Yes, it's that easy. Serve with rice and mixed veggies, or cook the extra sauce in a wok with a pepper-free asian blend.
If you want the dish to have a nice presentation, place the pieces in the pan 'bottoms up' (the 'messy side' of the thighs) so that the tops are exposed to the heat at the end for a really beautiful glazed look.
