Slow-Cooked Teriyaki Chicken

Slow-Cooked Teriyaki Chicken
from Art of the Slow Cooker: 80 Exciting New Recipes, by Andrew Schloss

Ingredients

1 tablespoon vegetable oil
4 pounds bone-in skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon finely grated ginger root
1/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons water
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry or apple juice
1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dark molasses
3 tablespoons honey
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon dark sesame oil
2 scallions, trimmed and cut into thin slices

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat. Brown the chicken thighs in batches on both sides, about 3 minutes per side, then transfer to a 5- to 6-quart slow cooker.

2. Add the garlic and ginger to the skillet and cook over medium-high heat until aromatic, about 30 seconds. Add the 1/4 cup water and scrape up any browned bits stuck to the bottom of the skillet. Add the soy sauce, sherry, rice wine vinegar, molasses, and honey, and stir to blend. Pour over the chicken, cover the cooker, and cook on high for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is cooked through.

3. Preheat a broiler to high; remove the chicken to a broiler tray and broil for 2 minutes on each side. While the chicken is broiling, pour the liquid from the cooker into a skillet. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Dissolve the cornstarch in the 1 1/2 tablespoons of water, add to the sauce in the skillet, and stir until the sauce is lightly thickened, about 1 minutes. Arrange the chicken on a serving platter and spoon the sauce over top. Drizzle with sesame oil, and sprinkle with the scallions.