sticky chicky (sweet and spicy peanut chicken)

Makes approximately 12-16 pieces (portion sizes in 2kg packs vary)

• 2kg chicken thighs (skin on, bone in)
• 170ml dark soy sauce 
• 1 tbsp of ginger paste (or if you have a small knob of fresh ginger, great)
• 3 tbsp honey
• 5 cloves of garlic (or 1 tbsp garlic paste)
• Juice of 1/2 lemon
• 5 heaped tbsp peanut butter
• 1 tbsp ground Cameroon pepper
• 1 tsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp white pepper 
• 4-5 red bell peppers, cut into wide strips lengthwise 
• To garnish - 3-4 tbsp salted peanuts, green herb of choice e.g. coriander, curly parsley etc.

1. Blend all of the ingredients except for the garnishes together using a blender or food processor, until you have a smooth and creamy mixture.
2. Pour the mixture over your prepared chicken, and mix thoroughly.
3. Cover and leave in the fridge to marinade for as long as you can - anywhere between 1 hour to overnight.
4. Place the red bell pepper pieces across the bottom of your oven tray (this is so they soak up the juices from the chicken whilst cooking).
5. Place the marinaded chicken thighs on top.
6. Cook at 180 degrees (fan) for around 35 minutes, or until fully cooked, browned and slightly charred - halfway through cooking, flip the chicken over and sprinkle the salted peanuts evenly across the chicken.

• See reels on toyotastes (IG) for visual aids.
• Peanut butter - crunchy or smooth is fine, just make sure its proper stuff, 95% or more peanut.
• Soy sauce - Lee Kum Kee for me!
• Garlic and ginger pastes - use Asian brands if possible, these tend to be more potent.
• Cameroon pepper - I don't list this for the sake of it, it really does take this dish to the next level! You'll find it in any African grocery store/market, and it's a fantastic pantry spice. Its complex smoky heat is unique, but if you really can't get hold of it, use hot chilli powder. Note that this recipe is not fiery, there's a kick, and its more about how the spice interacts with the other ingredients. 
• Bell peppers - any colour is fine I just prefer the sweetness of red.
• Roasting - be patient with the chicken so it takes on that lovely deep brown colour. 
• Salt - as dark soy is briny - I don’t add salt or stock/bouillon powder, but feel free to add a little to taste if you prefer.
• Citrus - lime juice is lovely to instead of lemon, whatever you have.