Trim the excess fat from the chicken thighs and discard. Combine the dark brown sugar, salt, five spice powder, white pepper, hoisin sauce, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, and red food coloring (if using) in a bowl to make the marinade. Rub the chicken with the marinade in a large bowl or baking dish. Cover and refrigerate overnight, or at least 8 hours.

About 2½ hours before you’d like to eat, take the chicken out of the refrigerator to come up to room temperature for even cooking. Preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C) and set a rack in the center of the oven.

Line a sheet pan with heavy duty foil for easy clean-up, and place a sheet of parchment paper or non-stick foil on top. Evenly space the marinated chicken thighs on the sheet – they should not be touching each other. Reserve any remaining marinade.

Transfer the chicken to your preheated oven, and roast for 30 minutes. Check on it every 15 minutes. If the chicken is starting to scorch or burn, tent it with aluminum foil and/or lower the oven temperature.

While the chicken bakes, make your basting sauce. Pour the excess marinade into a small saucepan with the water. Heat the mixture to a simmer. Add the maltose (microwave the maltose for 15 seconds at a time until softened). Mix until the maltose melts into the marinade and turn off the heat.

After 30 minutes, use a brush to baste the chicken with the cooked marinade. Continue roasting for another 5-10 minutes, and check the internal temperature of the chicken using an instant read thermometer. It’s done when it reaches 165°F (74°C) and/or when the juices run clear when the meat is pierced to the bone. Optionally, give the chicken one last basting and another minute in the oven for that extra char siu crust before serving.