I opened the honey garlic in January. It had been sitting since October.
Serves 3 to 4, depending on who appears.
4 to 6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs Salt and black pepper 1 tablespoon neutral oil 1 small head of garlic, halved crosswise 6 to 8 cloves fermented honey garlic 2 tablespoons of the fermented honey, from the jar 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup chicken stock or water 4 sprigs fresh thyme, or 2 bay leaves Apple cider vinegar, a small splash
Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Let it sit at room temperature for twenty to thirty minutes.
Heat the oil in a wide, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high. When it shimmers, add the thighs skin-side down. Do not move them. Cook for seven to eight minutes, until the skin releases from the pan and is deeply browned. Flip and cook two more minutes on the other side. Remove and set aside.
Pour off most of the fat, leaving a thin coating in the pan. Add the halved garlic head cut-side down. Let it sit undisturbed for two minutes, until the cut surface colors. Add the fermented honey garlic cloves and the honey. The honey will bubble and darken fast. One stir.
Add the wine and scrape the bottom of the pan clean. Add the stock or water and the thyme or bay. Return the chicken to the pan skin-side up. The liquid should come halfway up the thighs, not over the skin.
Bring to a simmer. Lower the heat and cover partially. Cook thirty-five to forty minutes. The meat should give easily when pressed. The skin will have crisped back.
Remove the chicken and set it somewhere warm. Add the vinegar to the pan liquid. Taste and adjust salt. The sauce should be savory and slightly sweet with a back edge of sharpness.
Serve over polenta, rice, or next to bread. Spoon the pan liquid over everything.
Honey garlic: fill a clean jar with peeled garlic cloves and cover them completely with raw honey. Seal it. Turn the jar over every few days for the first two weeks to keep the cloves coated. Leave it somewhere dark for eight weeks minimum before using. The honey will thin and darken. The garlic will soften all the way through. It keeps well past a year.