Spiced Chicken Apricot Pastilla Recipes

SPICED CHICKEN & APRICOT PASTILLA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish and cook the onion and garlic for 8 mins until soft. Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds until aromatic, then add the chicken. Pour in the chicken stock and season. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 mins, or until the chicken is tender.
• Lift the chicken pieces onto a plate. Add the honey and almonds to the cooking liquid and simmer until thick and reduced by half, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, finely shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir in the lemon zest and juice, apricots and parsley, then leave to cool. Can be chilled for up to two days.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Unwrap the pastry, keeping any you're not working with under a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Brush a 22-23cm springform or loose-bottomed round tin with a little oil. Push two pastry sheets into the tin to line the base, brushing them with melted butter and leaving a little extra up the sides. Repeat this with two more sheets across the other diameter of the tin so all sides are lined. Patch up any holes or thin patches with another sheet of buttered pastry.
• Spoon in the chicken mixture and pat down evenly. Sit another two sheets of pastry on top, brushing the melted butter between the layers again, and scrunching the edges of the pastry around the sides. Brush the top with a little more butter and bake on the heated baking sheet for 30 mins until crisp and golden brown. It's best eaten warm, so leave to cool for about 30 mins. Dust with a pinch of icing sugar and cinnamon to serve, if you like.

SWEET AND SPICY APRICOT BBQ CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• For the apricot BBQ sauce: Heat 1 tablespoon canola oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the chile and garlic; cook an additional 2 minutes. Stir in the apricot jam; cook until the jam melts, 3 to 4 minutes more. Pour in the orange juice and cider vinegar, bring to a simmer, and then add the ketchup, honey, Dijon and Worcestershire. Adjust the heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring often, until thickened, 15 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool for 5 minutes.
• Transfer the sauce to a blender and puree until smooth. Add salt to taste. Remove 1 cup for basting the chicken; reserve the rest for serving.
• For the chicken thighs: Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. In a small bowl, stir together the smoked paprika, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper.
• Place the chicken thighs on two foil-lined baking sheets. Lightly coat the thighs with canola oil and sprinkle liberally with the spice mixture on both sides.
• Bake until the chicken is cooked through, 35 minutes. Turn the oven to broil. Baste the chicken with BBQ sauce and broil until the sauce has caramelized and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the chicken reads 160 degrees F, about 2 minutes. Remove to a platter, let rest for 5 minutes
• Sprinkle the chicken with parsley, and serve with the reserved BBQ sauce.

SPICY APRICOT CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; rub over chicken. Place chicken, skin side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°-175°., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally., Turn chicken. Spoon some sauce over chicken. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken again; baste with sauce. Broil for 2-3 minutes longer or until browned. Serve with remaining sauce.

SPICY APRICOT CHICKEN STIR-FRY

Steps:

• Stir together apricot juice, soy sauce, cornstarch, garlic powder, onion powder, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl until the cornstarch has dissolved; set aside.
• Heat vegetable oil in a wok over high heat. Stir in ginger, and cook until it begins turns golden brown, about 10 seconds. Add the chicken; cook and stir until the chicken turns white and begins to firm. Stir in the stir-fry vegetables, and continue cooking until the chicken is no longer pink in the center and the vegetables are hot.
• Stir in the apricots, pineapple chunks, and apricot juice mixture. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly; cook until the sauce thickens and clears, about 1 minute. Stir in green onion before serving.

SPICY APRICOT-GLAZED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. In a small saucepan, combine the first five ingredients; cook and stir over medium heat until heated through., Place chicken in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 3-4 in. from heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 6-8 minutes on each side. Brush occasionally with preserves mixture during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

SPICY APRICOT-GLAZED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Heat broiler, with rack set 4 inches from heat. In a small bowl, stir together jam and red-pepper flakes; set glaze aside.
• Place chicken on an aluminum-foil-lined baking sheet; season with salt and pepper. Broil until chicken begins to turn opaque, 5 to 6 minutes.
• Brush glaze on chicken. Broil until glaze is browned and an instant-read thermometer inserted in thickest part of chicken registers 165 degrees, 4 to 5 minutes more.

HOT-AND-SWEET APRICOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Chop apricots. Mix reserved juice, the cornstarch, five-spice powder, soy sauce and red pepper.
• Heat wok or 12-inch skillet over high heat. Add oil; rotate wok to coat side. Add chicken and gingerroot; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink in center. Add asparagus and onions; stir-fry about 2 minutes or until asparagus is crisp-tender.
• Stir in juice mixture, apricots and pineapple. Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir 1 minute. Serve with rice.

PINEAPPLE AND APRICOT SKILLET CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place the pineapple and its juice and the apricots into a blender or food processor, and puree until smooth.
• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Place the chicken into the skillet, and sprinkle with lemon juice. Cook until lightly browned on both sides, about 10 minutes.
• Stir the butter and orange zest into the skillet, then when the butter is melted, pour in the rum. Carefully light with a match, and let the mixture burn until the flame goes out. Stir in the blended pineapple and apricot mixture, brown sugar, onion powder, ginger, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low, and simmer for 5 minutes. Add the red and yellow bell peppers, and simmer until the peppers are hot, but still crisp. Remove from heat, and serve.

SPICY CHICKEN TAGINE WITH APRICOTS, ROSEMARY, AND GINGER

Steps:

• Heat oil and butter in a tagine or heavy-based casserole dish.
• Stir in ginger, onion, chopped rosemary, and chilies and sauté until the onion begins to soften.
• Stir in halved rosemary sprigs and the cinnamon sticks.
• Add chicken and brown on both sides.
• Toss in the apricots and honey.
• Stir in plum tomatoes with their juice.
• Add a little water if necessary to ensure there is enough to cover the base of the tagine and submerge the apricots.
• Bring liquid to a boil, then reduce heat to low.
• Cover with a lid and cook gently for 35 - 40 minutes.
• Season to taste with salt and pepper.
• Sprinkle shredded basil over chicken.
• Serve immediately.

SPICY APRICOT CHICKEN (WITH BONUS LEFTOVERS IDEA)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, thoroughly brown and cook chicken on all sides in vegetable oil. Add garlic; saute lightly (don't let brown).
• In a medium bowl, combine apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, dried apricots, chicken broth and crushed red pepper. Evenly pour over chicken in skillet. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes over low heat till sauce is slightly thickened.
• Leftovers: Drain off the sauce and chill. Chop up the leftover chicken and apricots. Add some mayo, flaked toasted almonds and sliced green onions, and you have a delicious chicken and apricot salad.