Braised Chicken With Cilantro Lemon And Dried Figs Food

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO, LEMON AND DRIED FIGS

Steps:

• Place flour in large resealable plastic bag. Season flour with salt and pepper. Add chicken to bag; seal bag. Shake bag to coat chicken lightly with flour.
• Heat 2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken and sauté until brown on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch. Transfer chicken to plate. Add remaining 2 teaspoons oil to pot and reduce heat to medium. Add onions and garlic and sauté until golden and tender, about 10 minutes. Stir in broth, 1/2 cup cilantro and lemon juice and bring to boil. Add figs and chicken with any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and simmer until chicken is tender, about 35 minutes.
• Using slotted spoon, transfer chicken to bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Boil juices in pot until thickened to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons cilantro over and serve with lemon wedges.

ROAST CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400.
• Spray a 9 X 13-inch baking dish with nonstick spray.
• Trim the ends from 1 lemon: cut into very thin, round slices (about 12).
• Place the lemon slices and the figs in the baking dish.
• You may want extra lemon slices.
• They are really good to eat after they have been cooking under the chicken.
• Arrange the chicken breast or pieces.
• Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
• Squeeze enough juice from the remaining 2 lemons to equal 3 tablespoons; transfer to a small bowl.
• Stir in the brown sugar, vinegar and water.
• Pour the lemon mixture over the chicken; cover the baking dish loosely with foil.
• Roast the chicken 35 minutes.
• Remove the foil and roast, uncovered, basting the chicken twice, until cooked through, 15 minutes more.
• With a slotted spoon transfer the chicken, figs and lemon slices with a slotted spooon to a serving platter.
• Discard the fat from the pan drippings; spoon over the chicken.

EGYPTIAN LEMON CHICKEN WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Preheat the oven to 400°.
• Squeeze the juice from one of the lemons into a small bowl, add the brown sugar, vinegar and water. Mix well and set aside.
• Slice the remaining lemon and arrange evenly, along with the figs in a 13x9 baking dish.
• Place the chicken thighs on top in a single layer, then drizzle the vinegar mixture over the chicken.
• Sprinkle with the thyme and salt.
• Bake at 400° for about 40 minutes, or until chicken is no longer pink in the middle and juices run clear, basting half-way through cook time.
• Sprinkle with cilantro and serve immediately.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH FIGS

Steps:

• Separate legs and thighs if not already done. Pat chicken pieces very dry. Season with salt and pepper. Cut top half-inch off onions. Peel onions, and quarter them vertically, cutting only a bit off the root end so each quarter stays intact.
• Heat oven to 375 degrees. Heat butter in a heavy ovenproof skillet, preferably one large enough to hold chicken in a single layer. Over medium-high heat, brown chicken well on both sides. If skillet is not large enough to hold all the chicken, brown it in stages, and transfer it to a roasting pan that will hold it all.
• Tuck onion quarters, thyme and bay leaves around chicken. Add white wine and enough chicken stock so liquid is about 1/2-inch deep in pan. Place chicken in oven, and cook until chicken is done, about 40 minutes.
• Remove from oven to stove. Place figs around the chicken. Place pan over medium-high heat, bring contents to a simmer, and cook a few minutes until sauce starts to get syrupy. Warm honey and vinegar in a small saucepan, and drizzle over chicken. Turning chicken in pan, cook a few minutes more, basting with pan juices.
• Remove bay leaves, check seasonings, and serve, dividing the ingredients so each plate gets a chicken leg and thigh, and 4 pieces each of fig and onion.

PAN-BRAISED CHICKEN WITH DRIED FRUITS AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Sprinkle chicken on all sides with cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oil in heavy medium skillet over medium heat. Add chicken and sauté until brown, about 2 minutes per side. Push chicken to side of skillet. Add garlic to skillet and stir 30 seconds. Add dried fruits, wine, broth and olives and bring to boil. Simmer chicken uncovered until just cooked through, turning chicken occasionally with tongs, about 10 minutes. Transfer chicken to plates. Increase heat and boil until sauce is slightly thickened, about 4 minutes. Spoon sauce over chicken.

CHICKEN TAGINE WITH OLIVES, FIGS, AND PRESERVED LEMONS

Steps:

• Season chicken with 1 tablespoon olive oil, salt, and pepper.
• Heat remaining oil in a tagine over medium heat. Sear chicken in the hot oil until browned, 5 to 7 minutes; remove and set aside. Add onion, coriander, cumin, and bay leaf and cook, stirring constantly, for 10 minutes. Make sure to scrape the brown bits from the bottom while stirring; add a little water if needed.
• Stir tomatoes, figs, olives, garlic, and lemons into the tagine. Cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the seared chicken and pour in white wine. Bring to a boil while scraping the browned bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon. Reduce the wine by half, 10 to 15 minutes. Pour in enough chicken broth to fill the tagine only halfway up the sides of the chicken.
• Bring to a boil; reduce heat to low and cover. Cook until the meat on the legs is no longer pink and pulls away from the bone, about 45 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone, should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C). Remove the tagine from the heat and mix in parsley. Check seasonings and serve.