Chicken With Shallots Dates And Apricots Recipes

CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
• Pat the chicken breasts dry with paper towels and sprinkle them generously on both sides with salt and pepper. In a 12-inch cast-iron skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat for 2 minutes, until it begins to smoke. Place the chicken breasts, skin side down, in the skillet and cook for 4 to 5 minutes without moving, until golden brown.
• Using tongs, turn the chicken breasts skin side up, place the skillet in the oven, and roast for 12 to 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.
• Meanwhile, in a medium saute pan, combine the white wine, lemon juice, and shallots and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, until only 2 tablespoons of liquid remain in the pan. If it reduces too much, add an extra splash of white wine or water. Add the cream, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and bring to a full boil. Remove from the heat, add the diced butter, and swirl the pan until the butter is incorporated. Don't reheat or the sauce will "break"! Sprinkle with salt and serve the chicken hot with the sauce spooned over it.

PAN-ROASTED CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS AND DATES

Steps:

• Set the chicken out at room temperature for 30 minutes before cooking.
• Preheat the oven to 450°F (230°C). Position a rack in the top third of your oven.
• Place your largest cast-iron skillet in the oven for 15 minutes. Pat the chicken breasts dry and generously season them on all sides with salt and pepper. Carefully remove the hot skillet from the oven and place it on the stovetop. Add the grapeseed oil to the skillet and heat it over medium-high heat until the oil has a subtle ripple effect. You want the oil to be very hot. Working in two batches, cook the chicken, skin-side down, until the skin is crispy and golden brown, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain off all but 1 tablespoon of oil from the pan.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and set it onto a plate as you build your sauce. Over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons of the butter in the skillet and add the shallots. Cook the shallots undisturbed for 5 to 6 minutes, until they are caramelized and golden. Add the garlic, a few thyme sprigs, 1 tablespoon of the butter, and season with salt and pepper. Toss the shallots and continue to cook until they begin to soften, 5 to 7 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce it by half. Add a few more thyme sprigs and the stock. Simmer the sauce over medium to low heat for 15 minutes, until reduced slightly. Check for seasoning and add the dates and olives to the sauce.
• Return the chicken breasts to the skillet, skin-side up, and place it in the oven. Roast the chicken until it's just cooked through, about 20 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of the breast should register 160°F (70°C).
• Transfer the chicken breasts to a plate; set them aside and keep warm. Return the skillet to the stovetop over medium to low heat and add the vinegar to the sauce. Simmer until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, 3 to 5 minutes. Remove it from the heat and stir in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter and the lemon juice. Check and adjust the seasoning. Return the chicken to the skillet and serve it immediately, garnished with the remaining thyme and the lemon zest.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH APRICOTS AND SPICED PINE NUTS

Steps:

• Make tagine:
• Cut out and reserve wings and backbone from chicken. Cut breast in half through bone, then cut off legs and cut to separate into thighs and drumsticks (for a total of 6 serving pieces, not including wings and backbone). Pat chicken pieces dry and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt.
• Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then brown chicken breasts, skin sides down, without turning, 5 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Brown thighs and legs, turning once, 8 to 10 minutes, transferring to plate. Brown wings and backbone in same manner.
• Cook shallots in butter with remaining tablespoon oil in a 5- to 6-quart heavy pot over medium heat, stirring frequently, until soft, 8 to 10 minutes. Add garlic, ginger, turmeric, and paprika and cook, stirring, 3 minutes.
• Add chicken with any juices from plate, saffron (if using), and 1/2 teaspoon salt to shallot mixture and turn chicken to coat. Add water and bring to a boil, covered, then cook at a bare simmer, covered, 30 minutes.
• Turn chicken and add orange preserves, cinnamon stick, thyme, cilantro sprigs, and apricots. Simmer, covered, 10 minutes. Uncover and simmer until chicken is very tender, 10 to 15 minutes more.
• Brown pine nuts while chicken cooks:
• Heat oil in a small heavy skillet over medium heat until it shimmers, then stir in pine nuts, turmeric, paprika, and cayenne (if using) and cook, stirring frequently, until nuts are lightly browned, 1 to 2 minutes (watch carefully; they burn easily). Transfer to a small bowl.
• To serve:
• Transfer chicken to a platter and keep warm, covered. If sauce is not thick, boil, stirring occasionally, until reduced to about 1 cup. Discard herb sprigs, cinnamon stick, wings, and backbone. Stir in chopped cilantro and spoon sauce over chicken. Sprinkle with nuts.
• What to drink:
• Chateau Reynella McLaren Vale Grenache '04

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.

CHICKEN WITH SHALLOTS, DATES AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• If preferred, trim the fat and skin from the chicken. Rinse, pat dry, and season with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy pot with a lid (to be used later) over medium-high heat.
• Add chicken and bay leaves and cook until browned, about 7-10 minutes on each side. Add a 1/2 cup water, cover and reduce heat to low. Cook for 35-40 minutes.
• Pour off pan juices and reserve. Pile chicken on one side of the pan, raise the heat to medium and add the shallots. Cook until the soften, about 2 minutes.
• Add wine and vinegar, and scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add dates and apricots, then redistribute the chicken in the pot.
• Add the reserved liquid and simmer until chicken is heated through and tender, about 12-15 minutes.
• Remove and discard bay leaves. Serve immediately.

HERBY CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND FETA

Steps:

• Combine the first 5 ingredients; sprinkle over chicken. In a large skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Brown chicken in batches; return all to skillet. Add onion, apricot and dates; cook 5 minutes longer. Stir in stock and lemon juice; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer, covered, until a thermometer reads 170°, 5-7 minutes. Uncover and top with feta and green onions. If desired, serve with couscous.

SLOW COOKER CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND DATES

Steps:

• Mix garlic, orange juice, cumin, cinnamon and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil in a small bowl. Pour mixture in a ziplock bag.
• Add chicken and shake to coat and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
• Heat remaining oil in a large skillet over medium high heat.
• Saute onion until golden brown, about 5 minutes.
• Remove onion and set aside and add contents of ziplock bag to skillet and saute just until brown on both sides, about 5 minutes.
• Transfer chicken along with onions to crock pot.
• Add broth, apricots and dates to crock pot and stir to combine.
• Cover and cook on low for 4 to 6 hours.

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.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Slash each piece of chicken through the skin a few times, about 1 inch deep. Season with the salt and pepper and place in a large bowl or large resealable plastic bag. Whisk lemon juice, orange juice, honey, garlic, thyme, sumac and 3 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl to combine. Add lemon slices, apricots, olives and olive brine. Pour the marinade over the chicken and cover tightly or remove as much air as possible before sealing it. Set on a small sheet pan and refrigerate for at least 2 hours and up to 24 hours, turning the bag from time to time.
• Position a rack 8 inches from the broiler heat source. Place an oven rack in the lower third of the oven and heat oven to 450 degrees. Toss shallots with remaining tablespoon oil and spread out on a large sheet pan, cut sides down. Place on the lower rack and cook, turning once, until starting to turn golden, 10 to 12 minutes.
• Remove the pan from the oven and use your hands and a slotted spoon to scoop the chicken, apricots, lemon slices and olives onto the pan, reserving the marinade. Arrange in an even layer with the chicken skin side up and return to the oven. Cook for 15 minutes, baste the chicken with the drippings, and cook until chicken juices run clear, about 10 minutes longer. Remove the pan from the oven. Heat the broiler to high.
• Pour the reserved marinade and wine over the chicken, and broil until the chicken is browned and the liquid is thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. If the apricots start to get too dark, turn them over in the sauce. Transfer to a platter. If you used chicken breasts, cut them in half. Pour the sauce over everything or serve it on the side.