Soy-Kaffir Lime Chicken Breast with Glazed Cauliflower

Preparation ~
Fill a bowl with ice water and set aside. Steam your frozen cauliflower in the microwave or on the stovetop in boiling water - if using the latter method, blanch it for about 2 minutes. Plunge the cauliflower into the ice water until cool, then remove the cauliflower and set aside to dry.

Preheat your oven to 500°. Season your chicken breasts with salt and pepper.

In a large ovenproof pan, add the oil over high heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the chicken and saute about 5 minutes, then flip. Add the cauliflower and about 3/4 of the green onions to the pan with the chicken.

Brush the chicken with the Soy-Kaffir Lime Syrup and drizzle over the veggies. Place the entire pan into the preheated oven and bake about 6 minutes.

Drizzle the remaining syrup on serving plates, add the cauliflower as a base, then pile the chicken on top. Pour the pan juices over the dish and garnish with remaining green onions and sesame seeds. Note: I opted to serve mine with a little steamed jasmine rice, too. If you opt for that, make a bed out of the rice, drizzle the syrup and then place the cauliflower and chicken on top.

Soy-Kaffir Lime Syrup

The original recipe makes three cups, so I halved it and had more than plenty to spare. Luckily, it will keep in the fridge up to two weeks, so definitely plan for more than one entree using the syrup. I think it would be excellent on fish, as well.

Ingredients ~
1-1/2 cups brown sugar (or turbinado)
1 cup soy sauce
1 cup kecap manis (sweet Indonesian soy sauce) OR 1 more cup soy sauce and 1 more cup brown sugar
1/2 cup fresh lime juice
4 kaffir lime leaves (fresh or frozen), crushed (you may substitute the zest of one lime, but trust me, the kaffir lime leaves are worth it)

Preparation ~
In a nonreactive saucepan, combine the sugar, soy sauce, kecap manis (I didn't have this, so I used the alternative), lime juice and kaffir leaves. Gently simmer over medium heat, uncovered, but keep a watchful eye on it - don't let it boil over.

Note: I speak from experience - this can happen in the blink of an eye. And trust me, you don't want to end up with burned sugar all over your stovetop and smoke in your kitchen... I only left the kitchen for a second, I swear!

Reduce the liquid by about half until it reaches the consistency of maple syrup - about 45 minutes (that is, if you don't have an explosion in your kitchen). Strain the syrup through a fine sieve and allow it to cool. Makes about 1-1/2 cups. Store whatever you don't use in a glass container in the refrigerator.