Honey-less Mustard Chicken

Gluten-free |Sugar-free | Honey-free | No added fat | Dairy-free

Serves: 6-8 

Honey chicken is a classic dish I grew up eating. Wonderfully sweet and comforting, this was one of my favourites from my childhood. But there is a slight issue with the original. It turns out that drenching chicken in honey isn't the healthiest thing you could do. So I thought to myself, how can I make this recipe better for my health without taking away that magic that this dish always had?

Because this recipe is such a well-known dish, I approached it respectfully so as not to take anything away from the much-loved original. 

So, how did I make the beloved honey chicken recipe healthy? The key is my honey substitute, fibre syrup. Fibre syrup is essentially the syrup version of inulin powder. You may know that I use inulin powder in many recipes because it's a prebiotic and dietary fibre. It also has a natural sweetness and is the perfect sugar substitute. Inulin powder is an excellent healthy alternative. It makes your gut happy and even has that little sweetness to give some fantastic sweet flavours to whatever you add it to. Fibre syrup has the same effects, and it's great for your gut and is also extremely low in calories.

I use chicken breast or thigh in my recipe, and I make sure to trim the fat. I also add my favourite sugar-free mustard, tamari sauce, ginger and turmeric. I also add chopped green apples and, of course, the key ingredient, fibre syrup. The result is a delicious, low-fat, gluten, sugar, and dairy-free chicken dish. 

My recipe is reminiscent of honey chicken but not as sweet. Instead, it's a lot more flavourful and, most importantly, a lot better for you and your gut. 

Hints, Tips & Tricks

You'll need a slow cooker or a pressure cooker for this recipe. 

I use my Sweet As Fibre Syrup as a refined sugar substitute in this recipe due to its natural sweetness. My fibre syrup is a low-calorie prebiotic fibre made from 100% pure chicory. Feel free to use your own fibre syrup, but read the labels. Many companies lace their syrups with malt extract and stevia to make them sweeter. If your fibre syrup isn't golden, it probably isn't 100% pure. Click here if you would like to purchase my Sweet As Fibre Syrup.

Before you start, you'll need to prepare my Kombu Water. Kombu water is my healthy broth alternative and one of my favourite foundation recipes. If you need the recipe, you can find it here.

RECIPE

Ingredients:

• 2 large green apples, peeled, cored and diced
• 2 kg (4.2 lbs) fresh skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat (or you can use breast)
• 4 tbsp Dijon mustard (sugar and gluten-free variety, I use Maille Dijon mustard)
• 4 tbsp Sweet As Fibre Syrup
• 1 tbsp low sodium tamari
• 120 ml (4 fl oz) Kombu Water
• 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh garlic
• ½ tsp turmeric powder
• Himalayan salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 2 tbsp fresh herb leaves like basil or mint, finely chopped, to serve

Method:

1. Add 200 ml (7 fl oz) of water to a small pot along with 2 large peeled and diced green apples. Bring the pot to the boil and cook the apples for 10-15 minutes or until they are tender. Drain the water from the apples well and then puree in a small food processor until smooth.
2. Into the bowl of your pressure or slow cooker, add the chicken, Dijon mustard, fibre syrup, tamari, kombu water, garlic, turmeric powder and 120 grams (4.2 oz) of the pureed apple. Stir or combine and season with a bit of salt and pepper.
3. If using a pressure cooker, set the cooker on high and pressure cook for 15 minutes. If using a slow cooker, set the cooker on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours. The chicken should be fall-apart tender when it's ready.
4. Carefully remove the chicken from the cooker and keep it warm by covering it with a lid or foil. Pour the sauce from the cooker into a large pot, set it at a high temperature, and boil the sauce until it reduces and thickens to a more gravy-like consistency. Taste this sauce for flavour, adding more salt and pepper if required.
5. Pour the hot sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with the fresh herb.
6. Serve with your ideal vegetable!