Apricot Chicken

 

Its been a long six months since I made the decision to leave the UK and journey back to Canada, but here I am finally in my own little home. This past Sunday I was able to have my family (sister, brother in law and father) over for supper as a thank you for all they have done for me over these past months.

There were moments over these months when I never thought I would see the light at the end of the tunnel. It seemed to be so far away, but here I am!  My patience having been well and truly exercised!

 

I am a person who has always loved having people over for meals. I cannot count how many young Missionary Elders and Sisters I have fed through the years. Countless. 

They always loved coming to us for a meal and I always loved feeding them. The special spirit they bring into your home is such a gift!  Of course right now at the moment, they are not eating in people's homes or visiting people, due to Covid.

 

And of course, not many of us are entertaining anyone in our homes for exactly the same reason.  

I am allowed to have my family bubble in my home however, and I was so pleased to be able to return at least a portion of the kindnesses they have shown me over the past months with a delicious home-cooked meal.

My father does have very simple tastes however, so I had to be careful to choose something simple and not really outrageous for him.  I wanted him to enjoy the meal, along with everyone else.

 

I decided to cook this traditional apricot chicken recipe for them. Its actually a very simple recipe, using only four basic ingredients, not counting salt and pepper.

All you need for this is chicken pieces, apricot jam, fresh lemon juice and ground nutmeg.  Simple.

 

You don't need to fry anything. You just lay the chicken out in a baking dish, season it, and then pour the remaining ingredients over top and bake.

Its one of those meals that basically cooks itself, leaving you hands free to get on with the rest of the dinner. I love recipes like that!  And when they are delicious also, well . . . you can't beat them!

 

You can use whichever cut of chicken you like for this.  I like to use chicken thighs myself.  Bone in and skin on.

You can also use breasts, boneless skinless chicken, chicken leg quarters, drumsticks, etc.  I tend to not use the breasts myself because breast meat dries out very easily.  I think dark meat works much better in this recipe.

 

You put the chicken pieces in a baking dish, making sure you leave plenty of room around them for the air in the oven to flow.  You will need to season it.

Just salt and pepper.  I like to be generous with both.

 

The jam, lemon juice and nutmeg are whisked together and poured over the chicken.  You might think its a lot of nutmeg, but trust me it works.

It seems like a lot of lemon juice also, but don't worry.  The three things together mingle with the juices from the chicken to make a lush sauce that is really finger licking, lip smackingly good!

 

I have seen similar recipes where they add a pack of onion soup mix.  I prefer it without the onion soup. I think the flavor is fresher and cleaner, and works much better with chicken.

There is beef bullion powder/flavoring in onion soup mix. I don't think that goes very with chicken at all.  Just my humble opinion.  And its too salty by far.  Again, my opinion.

 

The lemon juice has a lovely fresh flavor that works very well. I always use fresh lemon juice not juice made from concentrate.  Again, a personal preference.

There is no need to brown the chicken first. It turns a beautiful golden brown color on its own as you can see, with a lovely sweet/tart and sticky skin.  

 

The original recipe did not call for this next step, but it is one I have always done.  When you are cooking chicken thighs  or leg quarters/drumsticks for that matter, they can release a lot of fat.

I don't want that fat in my sauce, so for the last fifteen minutes of cook time I drain off the sauce and return the chicken to the oven.  This enables the chicken to brown properly and get all sticky.

 

It also affords me the opportunity to skim off all the excess fat and discard it.  Leaving me only with that lush sauce, a delightful combination of apricot, lemon, nutmeg, and chicken juices.

I then reheat the juices in a saucepan on top of the hob while the chicken is finishing off in the oven.  I simply bring it to a boil (watch it) and then reduce it for a few minutes at a quick simmer.

 

This gives you a nice, sticky and slightly thick sauce to spoon over the finished chicken.  People love it.  I usually put it in a sauce boat and pass it at the table. 

This delicious chicken recipe always garners me great reviews.  People can't believe how very simple it is to make!  They always go home with the recipe!

 

No surprise there, as it is totally delicious.  Sweet and sour, with a mild under-tone of nutmeg.  People can't quite figure out what that extra special something that flavor is.

They are always surprised when I tell them its nutmeg.

 

I served it with simple accompaniments.  Just some steamed rice and a cooked vegetable.  This time it was peas and carrots.

I always add a bit of mint to the water I cook my peas and carrots in.  It really adds a nice taste. Other than that, we had a simple salad. Nothing fancy.

Everyone was happy and enjoyed their meal.  It was a nice family meal, not stressful in the least.  

I had a few chicken thighs leftover and I enjoyed them the next day.I skinned them and chopped up the meat and added it to some of the leftover carrots, some chopped potato, onions and herbs to make myself a chicken hash for my tea.  Nothing wasted.

I really hope that you will try this simple easy recipe. You could also cook it in the slow cooker if you wanted to, but the chicken won't glaze up as nicely or turn golden brown. Also the sauce will be a lot thinner. 

Personally I think the oven is the only way to go.  Enjoy!!

 

Apricot Chicken

Yield: 6

Author: Marie Rayner

Prep time: 5 MinCook time: 45 MinTotal time: 50 Min

This delicious chicken bakes very easily in the oven, leaving you hands free to do other things. No fuss, no muss and you end up with perfectly cooked, tender, juicy chicken with an amazing sauce.

Ingredients

• 8 medium skin on, bone in chicken thighs
• 1 1/2 cups of apricot jam (190g)
• 1/3 cup (80ml) fresh lemon juice
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg
• salt and black pepper to taste

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 375*F/ 190*C/ gas mark 5.
2. Pat the chicken thighs dry and trim off any excess fat, discarding it. Place the chicken into a baking dish large enough to hold it all in a single layer.  Season it generously with salt and black pepper.
3. Whisk together the jam, lemon juice and nutmeg until thoroughly amalgamated. Spread this mixture evenly over the chicken pieces. Cover tightly with foil.
4. Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes.
5. Uncover, pour the juices into a saucepan, then return the baking dish to the oven and bake for an additional 15 minutes. 
6. While the chicken is finishing baking skim any fat from the juices and discard.  Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to a quick simmer and cook until it becomes as thick as you desire.
7. Serve the chicken hot with your favorite accompaniments. (We had rice along with peas/carrots.) Pass the sauce on the side for people to enjoy as they want.

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