A new Cooking by the seat of my Pants classic!  This is one of those times that I’m glad I sometimes just grab what I have handy and create something. As far as simple glazes go, this one is simply delicious, not only on the night it’s made, but even a few days later.  As a matter of fact, it was better a few days later.

Thee inspiration for this came from a combination of things I’d been watching on the idiot box.  Bits of things I’d seen on No Reservations and some Food Network chaff, I think.  In the end, the result was a subtly sweet and rather sublime glaze that brought out the flavors in the chicken while elevating the humble bird to a level it could never possibly attain on its own.

This is not the moment for me to sing my own praises.  This sauce/glaze worked perfectly because the ingredients were perfect and went perfectly with each other.  The tomato was beautifully ripe, the onion fresh and new, the garlic sweet and pungent at the same time.  It wasn’t me that made this the perfect glaze.  Nature did that for me.  All I did was introduce a few different ingredients to each other and let them sing together in a harmony that I could never create myself.  I’ll leave that to nature.

As for the tomatoes on the side…  Well, that’s the next food post.  You’ll just have to wait.  They deserve their own spotlight.

Yield: 1 1/2 cups

Sweet Honey Chili Tomato Glaze Recipe

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour

Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Print

Ingredients

• 3 Dried Anaheim Chili Peppers
• 1 roma tomato, quartered
• 1 onion, quartered
• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4 tbsp. honey
• Approx 2 tbsp liquid reserved from peppers
• Salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Place Chilis in a small saucepan with enough water that they float. Bring to a boil and remove from heat. Cover and allow to steep for approximately 40 minutes.
2. Remove peppers from liquid and drain on a paper towel. Reserve steeping liquid. Remove seeds and stems from peppers. Cut into several pieces and place in blender or food processor.
3. Place all ingredients except cooking liquid in blender or food processor. Pulse until a thick paste forms. Add steeping liquid from peppers a tablespoon at a time until mixture appears just loose enough to be brushable. (Mixture will be thick and appear lumpy… this is perfect!)
4. Brush or spoon over chicken that is approximately 10 minutes from being cooked through on a grill, turning and basting several times. Allow glaze to sit for a few minutes to achieve its total sweetness.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

8

Serving Size:

1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 48Total Fat: 0gSaturated Fat: 0gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 0mgSodium: 40mgCarbohydrates: 12gFiber: 1gSugar: 10gProtein: 1g

Nothing Really.  This glaze (Or Sauce) is nearly perfect for grilled chicken and might work well for lighter cuts of pork as well.  You want it hotter?  Substitute one or all of the dried peppers for chipotle peppers or add a pinch of cayenne pepper to the food processor.  don’t have dried Anaheims?  Use fresh peppers such as green or red bell (This will change the aacid level and will require more honey…  Be sure to taste!)

Links to other recipes like this:

• Pineapple-Braised Ribs with Honey-Garlic Tomato Glaze, from Serious Eats
• Grilled Chicken With Sweet Tomato Barbecue Sauce, from Peanut butter and Julie