If your chook’s marinated overnight, you’re a mere 15 minutes away from
serving a New Year’s meal that’ll make you wish 1 January came around monthly. But the chicken tastes good even if it hasn’t been marinated, so have it your way – it’s New Year, after all.

You need (for 6 portions):

• 8 chicken breasts, skinned and deboned
• ½ cup good tequila (with or without the worm)
• 1 cup lemon juice*
• 1 clove of garlic, chopped (optional)
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 large cinnamon stick (optional)
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1 block of chicken stock, dissolved in 1 cup of boiling water
• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 2 cloves
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1 red chilli, seeded and chopped (omit if you’re a sissy)
• 1 cup long-life cream
• salt to taste, but the chicken stock is probably salty enough

Get cracking:

• Put the chicken breasts in a bowl.
• Mix the tequila, lemon juice, garlic and brown sugar in a cup, then pour it over the chicken and add the cinnamon stick to the marinade.
• If you’re marinating the chicken overnight, use an airtight container and put it in the camping fridge.
• Just before the meal and after you’ve knocked together a salad, heat the butter and olive oil in a big pan (a flat-bottomed pot is ideal).
• Brown the chicken on both sides.
• Add the stock and marinade (without the cinnamon stick) and simmer for about 10 minutes.
• Add the cinnamon stick, ground cinnamon, cloves, black pepper and chilli to the pan and stir it for 5 minutes over low heat to release the spices’ flavours.
• Add the cream and stir it in until it’s warm. Immediately remove it from the heat so that the cream doesn’t curdle.
• If the breasts still look a little bland, sprinkle on some paprika or red pepper.

TIP: Use bottled lemon juice only as a last resort, as it can taste synthetic. Fresh lemons are best.   

Also try:  Mielies on the coals; Couscous salad; Banana pudding