Long time since I have posted a new chicken recipe :)
Today I want to share with you a brand new recipe to cook your chicken. I like this recipe because it is very easy to cook and it has got a little exotic taste, reminding me some lovely taste of Moroccan food.
Apricot Chicken
this recipe serves 4 persons
Ingredients:
- 8 chicken thigh fillets
- salt and pepper
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil or olive oil
- 40 g packet french onion soup
- 425 g can apricot nectar
You will need :
- cutting board
- cook’s knife
- bowl
- sauté or frying pan
- tongs
- wooden spoon
Cooking Method:
1. Trim the thigh fillets of any excess fat then season with salt and pepper. over medium heat, cook the chicken in the oil for 3 minutes on each side or until golden brown.
2. Mix the packet soup and the apricot nectar in a bowl; pour over the meat when browned on both sides. if the pan has a lid, cover and reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 15 minutes. if there is no lid, cover with foil and bake in the oven at 180ºc for 15 minutes.
3. serve immediately with salad, rice or vegetables.
My hints and tips :
* It is recommended to use chicken thigh fillets for this dish as they stay moist and tender with the extra cooking time. With chicken breast, there is always the possibility of overcooking the meat and making it dry and chewy.
* The above recipe is as basic as it could get. To make this dish more exciting while still keeping the name, try replacing the apricot nectar with 200 g apricot chutney, 8 dried apricots (quartered) and 250 ml chicken stock. Replace the packet onion soup by frying 2 garlic cloves (chopped) and 1 small onion (diced) in 2 tablespoons olive oil. The sauce can be thickened by dusting the chicken pieces in plain flour before browning.
* For gluten-intolerance, follow the previous tip, then, instead of dusting in plain flour before browning, use a gluten-free flour..
* Sometimes apricot chicken is cooked with canned apricots as well as the apricot nectar; this is, of course, a personal choice and if so desired add a can of apricot halves to the mixture
* Whole chicken pieces on the bone can be used, like chicken drumsticks. If this were to happen, extend the cooking time by 15 minutes and keep an eye on the sauce as it may dry out with the extra cooking time. Keep it saucy by adding ¼ cup water or chicken stock every 10–15 minutes.
* For extra kick, add 1 bird’s eye chilli (sliced thinly) to the sauce before it goes onto the chicken.
* For extra flavour, once the chicken has been browned, add 100 ml white wine to the pan, reduce by half, and then add the sauce mixture.
* Alternatives to apricots in this recipe include dry or canned peaches or mangoes, and peach or mango nectar.
* If microwaving this dish (or any poultry dish) and the skin is still intact, the skin will need to be pierced with a skewer in several spots to allow the steam to escape to avoid the chicken ‘popping’ and splattering in the microwave oven.
* Serve with mashed potato, steamed rice or couscous.
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