Tropical Pineapple Chicken

We are smack dab in the middle of May and it still feels like the end of March! Just pretend it's a hot summer day while you eat this Tropical Pineapple Chicken. At least it's sunny out.

3 lbs chicken legs (4 legs separated)
2 cups fresh diced pineapple
2 tbsps brown sugar
1 tbsp corn syrup
4 tbsps butter
1/4 cup red pepper, diced
1/2 cup onion, diced
1/4 tsp chili flakes
3/4 cup orange juice
1 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 cup rum or rum cream
2 tsps cornstarch
salt and pepper
2 pinches of nutmeg
1/4 cup shredded coconut

Spray a 13 X 9" baking dish with cooking oil, place the thighs and drumsticks in a single layer and salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.

In a saucepan melt butter and add onion, red pepper, brown sugar, corn syrup and chili flakes. Cook 4 or 5 minutes on medium heat. Add pineapple.

Mix the orange juice, rum and soya sauce together. I used rum cream leftover from a trip to Cuba a few years back. I know, it's weird...leftover rum!

Take 2 tbsps of this mixture and whisk in the cornstarch. Set aside. Pour the orange juice, rum and soya sauce into the saucepan and start to warm. Whisk the 2 tbsps with cornstarch into the the pot. Heat until slightly thickened. Add the nutmeg.

Pour sauce over chicken, sprinkle the coconut on top.

Bake at 325 F for 60 minutes.

Serve over rice and imagine being somewhere on a beach.