Sticky chicken legs

This is my mother's traditional chicken leg recipe. No idea where she got it from, but my childhood memories are full of me gnawing on these legs either in the pool, or with salt-crusted sandy hair at the beach, or on picnics, covered in ants and cicadas and dirt.

It's the simplest recipe in the universe to make. I will be taking these legs off to a bring-a-plate function later this month.

Talk about comfort food: if only everything this tasty were this easy!

• About a kilo or so of fat juicy legs
• Light soy sauce, about a quarter of a cup or a bit less
• Honey: 2 good big tablespoons
• Sesame oil or olive oil: a big slosh
• Hot chili sauce (this is mine, not Mum's) to taste

Rip the skin off the legs, if not done already. Them being skinless helps the marinade penetrate nicely, and there's plenty of liquid to keep them nice and moist without their skins. Pop the legs in a plastic bag with the other stuff and rub them around for a while. You can now throw the bag in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight, if you wish.

Preheat the oven to reasonable: about 190C (Mum had it hotter, I think, but I am now hooked on slow-roasting). Grab a roasting dish, line it with baking paper to save on cleanup, throw the bag contents in, and off you go. Turn them over with tongs after 40 minutes or so, basting all the time. Give the legs a good hour and a half to really get caramelised and sticky.

They are just perfect at picnics, lunches, movie nights, or my favourite way: for breakfast, cold from the fridge and greedily eaten in your swimmers... with sticky soy juice running down your chin.