Japanese ginger and garlic chicken with smashed cucumber from A Change of Appetite: Where Healthy Meets Delicious by Diana Henry

  • soy sauce
  • chicken thighs
  • cucumbers
  • garlic
  • fresh ginger
  • sake
  • togarashi spice
  • brown miso
  • red pickled ginger

  • EYB Comments

    The recipe in the US edition calls for 2/3 cup of finely grated ginger which equals one pound of ginger root. This is 8 times the quantity that should be listed - the UK book lists 2 oz or 60g of ginger root, peeled and finely grated - that is what should be used. Can substitute dry sherry for sake and chilli powder for togarashi.

Where’s the full recipe - why can I only see the ingredients?

Accompaniments: Edamame and sugar snap salad; Japanese carrot and mooli salad

Always check the publication for a full list of ingredients. An Eat Your Books index lists the main ingredients and does not include 'store-cupboard ingredients' (salt, pepper, oil, flour, etc.) - unless called for in significant quantity.

Notes about this recipe

  • Eat Your Books

    The recipe in the US edition calls for 2/3 cup of finely grated ginger which equals one pound of ginger root. This is 8 times the quantity that should be listed - the UK book lists 2 oz or 60g of ginger root, peeled and finely grated - that is what should be used. Can substitute dry sherry for sake and chilli powder for togarashi.

  • lilham on June 11, 2022

    I'm a little disappointed in this. Possibly due to holding back from adding a lot of chilli power because I was cooking for children as well. The notes says the chicken should be hot and spicy but mine most definitely is not.

  • Kduncan on February 03, 2022

    This was good, but not great. Pretty easy to make. I agree with a lot of the users, that the cucumber salad was better than the chicken.

  • aberne on May 13, 2019

    So incredibly simple and savory, perfect over sticky rice with the pan juices dropped on top.

  • KarinaFrancis on February 07, 2019

    We loved this! The flavours are great and it couldn’t be simpler. I must have a mild togarashi because there was no heat....maybe Korean dried chilli instead? This will go into rotation.

  • joneshayley on April 20, 2018

    Easy and delicious- the cucumber is the surprise and works beautifully with the chicken.

  • Zosia on July 31, 2016

    I quite liked this but even using the corrected amount of ginger for the chicken portion, most family thought it a little too ginger forward.

  • Ehart624 on May 20, 2015

    Yummy. Definitely some issues with the "translation" from UK to the US version. As the note above says, 2/3 cup of ginger is way too much. I used about 4 tablespoons (maybe 3.5). And I think the cooking time is too short in the US version. Or maybe the oven temperature is too low. I cooked it for about an hour on 350. And in general, I think there's not enough marinade for 8 thighs. If you want 8 thighs, I think I might make more marinade next time. But I think this is just editing issues. The flavor is great, top to bottom. :) And the cucumber salad is great.

  • jonaiman on October 16, 2014

    Made this with boneless thighs, we loved the chicken, and the combination with the smashed cucumber

  • Foodycat on July 21, 2014

    p. 63 The smashed cucumbers need a bit of oomph to smash them. Really good flavours - and definitely recommend the edamame and sugarsnap salad accompaniment.

  • mirage on July 18, 2014

    I was a little disappointed with the chicken, considering the rave reviews, but we loved the smashed cucumbers.

  • westminstr on June 12, 2014

    Concur that this is a great chicken dish. I marinated in the morning and it did not suffer one bit for having been done ahead of time. I subbed aleppo pepper to accommodate my spice-averse kids. So it wasn't hot and spicy but still very good.

  • caitmcg on June 11, 2014

    Easy to put together and just delicious. The pickled ginger with the cucumbers adds a great note, and the whole recipe is quite healthful, with no added fat, but is so full of flavor it doesn't feel at all ascetic.

  • Jane on April 14, 2014

    This was really good. As Diana says in her recipe note, the combination of hot spicy chicken and cool cucumber is sensational. I also made the other suggested side, edamame and sugar snap pea salad - that was really good too. I will definitely be making this again.

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