Apricot Chicken

28 January 2016

(Servings 8)

On our last trip to Costco, I had purchased a large bag of dried apricots on a whim. Now that I have it, I’m not sure what I want to do with it. So I decided to incorporate it in a new chicken recipe. The tartness of the apricot compliments the chicken an spices quite pleasantly.

During the cold winter months, I do enjoy cooking with the oven. Not only does it warm up the house, it also gives me a lot more down time. One of the many reasons why I like this recipe is that once I have everything prepped and ready to go, it takes just a few minutes to assemble and pop into the oven. Set it and forget it!

The apricot is very prominent in this dish so if you want the apricot flavor to be more subtle, feel free to reduce the amount of dried apricots you use. The cooking time in the oven allows the apricot to thoroughly infuse the chicken as well as keeping the meat tender and moist. The sauce it produces would be suitably complimented with rice or bread.

4 lbs chicken thighs	1. Trim and pat dry.
1 tsp hot chili powder	2. Combine all the seasoning and pat onto the chicken pieces. 3. Let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours prior to cooking.
2 tsps cumin
2 tsps paprika
2 tbsps salt, kosher
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp garlic powder
4 oz dried apricots, whole	4. Place the apricot in a pot and pour in enough water to completely cover it. 5. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil and then lower to a simmer and cook for about 45 minutes or until they are plump. 6. Set aside.
Water
2 tbsps butter	7. On medium-high heat, warm the butter and oil in a dutch oven.
2 tbsps olive oil
1 large onion, cut into medium wedges	8. Sauté onions and garlic for about 3 minutes until soften. 9. Turn off heat. 10. Lay chicken in a single layer on top of the onion and garlic. 11. Pour in the chicken juices and apricot. 12. Cover and cook in the oven at 350F for 70 minutes or until done. 13. Adjust seasoning and serve hot.
3 tbsps garlic, minced