Ingredients:

1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup boiling water
20 lemon verbena or basil leaves,
divided into 2 cups Lillet Blanc
3/4 cup vodka
1/2 cup fresh lemon juice
5 fresh thyme sprigs
1 1/2 cups club soda,
chilled 1 lemon, thinly sliced

• Mix honey, 1/4 cup boiling water, and 12 torn verbena leave in a bowl; stir to dissolve honey. Cool honey mixture completely (about 20 minutes).
• Strain mixture into a pitcher and dispose of verbena leaves, add Lillet, vodka, and lemon juice.
• Before serving add thyme sprigs up to 1 hour. Add club soda/sprite just before serving.
• Serve in wine glasses on the rox. Garnish with lemon slices and verbena leaves.

Cooking time: 25 mins

Serves: 6

Ingredients: 8 chicken thighs (skinless and boneless) 2 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch) 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp pepper 2 tbsp vegetable oil 1 tbsp unsalted butter 4 cloves minced garlic 1/3 cup (110g) honey 1/3 cup (80ml) chicken stock 1 tbsp rice vinegar 1 tbsp light soy sauce To Serve: 1 tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley 1/2 tsp chili flakes boiled rice

Method:

1. If you’re taking the chicken breast, slice it from between and further dice into cubes.
2. Transfer it to a mixing bowl, add Salt & pepper to taste, vinegar, soy sauce, and ginger paste, mix and coat well.
3. Add cornstarch and mix and coat well, marinate it for 15 minutes.
4. Coat every chunk of chicken with dry cornflour and dust-off excess flour and keep aside for 10 minutes before frying.
5. Set a wok or deep pan filled with oil on medium-high heat for frying, fry the chicken cubes two times, first fry them until they are light brown, remove and keep aside for 5 minutes, second fry them on high heat until crispy and golden brown, remove it on an absorbent paper. For making sauce
   
   Ingredients:  Oil 2 tbsp,  Garlic 5-6 cloves (chopped), Ginger 1 inch (julienned), Red chili pastes 2 tbsp, Ketchup 3 tbsp, Salt & Black pepper to taste, Honey 2 tbsp, Soy sauce 1 tsp, Crispy fried chicken as required, Spring onion greens 1/4th cup (chopped), Vinegar ½ tsp

   Method:

6. Set a pan on high heat, add oil, ginger, and garlic, sauté for a minute, add red chili paste, ketchup, Salt & Black pepper to taste, honey and soy sauce, further sauté it for a minute.
7. Add the crispy fried chicken, stir and coat the crispy chicken with the sauce well.
8. Add some freshly chopped spring onions greens and vinegar, mix and toss well.
9. Your honey chicken is ready to be served, serve hot.