Chicken With Apricots Lemon And Saffron Recipes

CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, LEMON AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Season chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. (If time permits, do this an hour before cooking or up to 24 hours in advance. Keep refrigerated, but remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.)
• In a large skillet over medium heat, place chicken pieces skin-side down in one layer. Let chicken cook slowly to brown well on one side, about 15 to 20 minutes. When skin is crisp and lifts easily from the pan, it is ready. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, make saffron water: In a small cup, combine saffron with lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Set aside to steep.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer chicken, skin-side up, to a baking dish. Pour off some fat from the skillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Add onions, salt lightly and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add saffron water and threads, tomato purée, cayenne, coriander, fennel, cardamom and wine to onions and bring to a simmer.
• Pour onion mixture over chicken. Tuck apricots and lemon slices among the chicken pieces. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Recipe can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. When ready to serve, reheat in a 350-degree oven, in a covered pot, 30 to 45 minutes.)
• To serve, garnish with cilantro and mint leaves. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve hot.

CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Combine apricots in a bowl with vinegar, wine and 1/4 cup water. Let soak while you brown the chicken.
• Turn the heat to medium high under a 12-inch nonstick skillet, and add chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook, rotating but not turning pieces so they brown evenly. When they are nicely browned - take your time - turn them so they are skin side up. Make a little space to add the onion, and cook, stirring the onion occasionally until it has softened a bit, a minute or two.
• Add apricot mixture and bring to a boil; cook for a minute, then turn heat to low and cover. Cook until chicken is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, raise heat and season chicken well with salt and pepper. Boil away any excess liquid; sauce should not be too watery. Serve with white rice or any other cooked grain, or bread.

MOROCCAN CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON AND PRESERVED LEMON

Steps:

• Whisk 1/4 cup olive oil, garlic, turmeric, cumin seeds, salt, and pepper together in a bowl and pour into a resealable plastic bag or container. Add chicken, coat with the paste and seal bag or container. Marinate in the refrigerator, 4 hours to overnight.
• Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large stockpot over medium-high heat. Add onion; cook and stir until soft and translucent, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade, discarding marinade. Add chicken thighs skin-side down to stockpot and cook until browned, about 4 minutes. Flip chicken thighs and cook until browned on second side, about 3 minutes more.
• Lower heat to medium and add water to cover chicken halfway, cover stockpot, and cook for 20 minutes. Uncover stockpot, sprinkle saffron threads onto chicken, and top with preserved lemon slices. Replace cover and cook until chicken is no longer pink at the bone and juices run clear, about 5 minutes more. An instant-read thermometer inserted near the bone should read at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Uncover stockpot and transfer chicken to a serving platter.
• Continue simmering liquid in stockpot until thickened to sauce consistency, 5 to 7 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken; top with olives, artichokes, and parsley.

GRILLED CHICKEN WITH SAFFRON AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• In a large non-stick skillet, brown chicken in butter and oil about 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked. Add salt and pepper. Set aside on a warm plate.
• In the same skillet, brown onion and bell pepper. Add oil if needed. Add garlic and keep cooking 1 minute. Add apricots, lemon juice, honey, saffron and stir well. Add chicken broth and bring to boil. Let reduce until sauce has a texture of syrup. Adjust seasoning.
• In a bowl, mix spinach with a little bit of olive oil. Add salt and pepper.
• Slice the chicken. In 4 plates, serve the chicken on the spinach and put the apricots garnish on top.

MOROCCAN ROAST CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Spatchcock the chickens - see tip, below, or ask your butcher to do it for you. Put the olive oil, coriander, sumac, cumin, fennel, chilli, garlic, lemon zest and juice, pomegranate molasses and some ground black pepper into a food processor or blender, and whizz to a paste. Divide between 2 large food bags, add a chicken to each, then squeeze out the air and seal before giving everything a good squelch to coat thoroughly. Marinate for 24-48 hrs in the fridge, turning and squishing every so often.
• Fire up a barbecue and let the flames die down, or heat oven to 220C/200C fan/gas 7. Lift the chicken out of the bags and season well with salt. Barbecue or roast the chicken for 25-30 mins on each side until crisp and cooked through. Set aside on a platter, loosely cover with foil, to rest while you do the apricots. If you roasted rather than barbecued, keep the tin juices warm for serving.
• Put the apricots in a small, snug roasting tin. Whisk the preserved lemon, honey, orange blossom and vinegar with some seasoning. Pour over the apricots and roast, or sit on the barbecue, for 20 mins until soft.
• Serve the chicken with any cooking juices, the apricots and saffron yogurt.

APRICOT/LEMON CHICKEN

Steps:

• Combine preserves, lemon juice, soy sauce, and zest in a bowl.
• Dip chicken pieces in mixture. The large chunks won't stick. Reserve the left-overs for a baste.
• Coat the dipped chicken pieces with bread crumbs, patting to adhere crumbs to chicken.
• Place chicken in greased 13x9 pan. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Drizzle with melted butter.
• Bake for 35 mins., then remove from oven and pour the reserved apricot mixture over the chicken.
• Bake until done, perhaps 30-mins. depending on the thickness of the chicken.
• Remove from oven and squeeze one whole lemon (or to taste) over the chicken.
• Serve with lemon edges, steamed rice and green salad.

SOUTHERN APRICOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Arrange the chicken pieces in a single layer in the bottom of a 9x13 inch baking dish.
• Bake uncovered for 25 to 30 minutes, or until no longer pink in the center, and juices run clear.
• While the chicken is cooking, stir together the apricot preserves, sour cream, mustard, salt and pepper in a small bowl. When the chicken is done, remove from the oven, and coat with the sauce. Return to the oven for 10 to 12 minutes, or until sauce is bubbly and hot.

LEMON CHICKEN WITH HONEY AND SAFFRON, ELEGANT AND GOOD!

Steps:

• Quarter chicken, removing backbone. Rinse, pat dry and trim off excess fat.
• Place chicken in an earthenware cazuela that will hold it in one layer, or in an enamel or glass baking dish. Rub chicken all over with salt, cumin, ginger and coriander. Let stand for 15 minutes.
• Place lemon juice, 5 teaspoons honey and saffron in a small bowl and whisk to mix. Pour mixture over chicken. Prick chicken all over with tines of a fork, cover it with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 to 6 hours, turning several times. Let chicken come to room temperature before cooking.
• Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
• Transfer chicken to a bowl, then scatter onion in cazuela. Place chicken on top of onion and brush it with remaining 1 teaspoon honey and olive oil.
• Bake chicken for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking chicken until it is cooked through, 30 to 40 minutes longer. (To avoid overcooking the breast halves, remove them after 30 minutes.).
• Stir in sesame seeds, return breast halves to cazuela and bake for 5 minutes longer. Serve chicken straight from the cazuela.

LEMON-APRICOT CHICKEN (COOKING FOR 2)

Steps:

• Heat oven to 425°F. Spray 13x9-inch pan with cooking spray. In shallow dish, beat egg product and water slightly. In another shallow dish, stir together Bisquick® mix, lemon peel and garlic powder. Flatten chicken breasts between sheets of plastic wrap or waxed paper to 1/2-inch thickness.
• Dip chicken into egg mixture, then coat with Bisquick mixture. Place in pan. Spray chicken with cooking spray.
• Bake uncovered 20 minutes. Turn; bake 10 minutes longer or until chicken is no longer pink in center.
• In small microwavable bowl, stir together all Lemon-Apricot Sauce ingredients. Microwave on High 1 minute; stir. Cut chicken crosswise into 1/2-inch slices. Pour sauce over chicken. Garnish with lemon slices.