Honey, soy, garlic and chilli turn a simple chicken breast into a nicely sticky romantic meal. Serve with fingerbowls of water with a squeeze of lime or lemon juice.

Ingredients
Feeds 2. Takes 45 mins plus marinating.

1 garlic clove, smashed
1 small red chilli, finely sliced
1tbsp finely chopped root ginger
2tbsp soy sauce
1tbsp honey
1tbsp lime or lemon juice
1tbsp vegetable or olive oil
2 chicken breasts eg 200g each

FOR THE SAUCE:

tbsp Thai sweet chilli sauce
1tbsp lime or lemon juice

Pound the garlic, half the chilli and the ginger together to a paste. Add the soy sauce, honey, lime juice and the vegetable oil, and stir well. Add the chicken, coat well and leave to marinate for an hour or overnight.

Heat the oven to 200C/Gas mark 6. Place the drained chicken on a roasting tray lined with foil and bake for 25 to 30 minutes, basting once or twice with the marinade, until the skin is crisp and golden and the chicken is cooked through.

Rest for five minutes then serve, as a whole breast, or thickly sliced, with the sesame spinach (below).

Mix the sweet chilli sauce and lime juice and spoon around the chicken and spinach.

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