Chicken And Roasted Figs Food

CHICKEN AND ROASTED FIGS

Steps:

• 1. Preheat oven to 400°. In a small bowl, whisk together 1/4 cup water, the vinegar, and cornstarch. Whisk in honey and set aside. Sprinkle chicken on both sides with 3/4 teaspoons salt and 1/2 teaspoons pepper.1.
• 2. Heat a heavy 12- to 14-in. ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add oil and swirl to coat, then add chicken skin side down and brown until skin is deep golden and crisp, 8 to 10 minutes. Turn over and brown other side, 2 to 3 minutes more. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
• 3. Discard all but 2 tablespoons fat from frying pan, reduce heat to medium, and cook shallots until translucent, 3 to 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Give the cornstarch mixture a stir, and add it and the chopped oregano, and remaining 1/4 teaspoons each salt and pepper to the skillet; cook until mixture bubbles and thickens, 1 to 2 minutes.
• 4. Set chicken skin side up in frying pan and add figs. (If you do not have an ovenproof skillet, transfer everything to a baking pan). Roast in oven until figs soften and caramelize slightly and meat is no longer pink at bone, about 15 minutes (or to internal temperature of 165 deg). Divide chicken, figs, and sauce among plates and top with whole oregano leaves.
• Notes; Chicken thighs vary wildly in size. The two in my photo were about 1 1/4 lbs together. I cooked them a little longer in the skillet, so as to keep the time in the oven the same. I made the whole recipe of the sauce, but would not make quite that much next time if not making the entire recipe - it didn't caramelize enough in the oven. It was still delicious - like lick the plate delicious - but I would have liked it to caramelize. I sliced the garlic instead of chopping it, and just stripped the oregano leaves off the stems, as I had tender, young stems with small leaves.

CHICKEN BREASTS WITH FETA AND FIGS

Steps:

• One at a time, place each chicken breast between pieces of plastic wrap or parchment and lightly pound with a mallet until it is 1/2 to 3/4 inch thick. Chicken breasts should be of uniform thickness.
• Place chicken breasts in a bowl, season with salt and pepper and toss with rosemary, garlic and 2 tablespoons olive oil. Cover bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.
• Place oven on lowest setting, around 200 degrees. Cook the chicken: Heat a large cast-iron skillet or grill pan over high heat for 5 minutes. Add remaining olive oil to pan and reduce heat to medium-high. Turn over chicken breasts in marinade to coat them, then add them to the pan, rounded side down. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on one side, until cooked halfway through.
• Turn chicken breasts over and carefully arrange feta on top, dividing it equally among the 4 breasts. Sprinkle about 1/4 teaspoon thyme leaves over feta on each breast. Cook 4 to 5 minutes, until breasts are cooked through. Feta will warm but will not melt. Transfer to a baking sheet and keep in warm oven while you cook the figs.
• Add wine to pan and scrape with a wooden spoon to deglaze the bottom. Boil wine until it has reduced by half, then add figs, honey and remaining thyme. Cook, stirring, until figs break down and begin to look jammy, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat.
• Serve chicken breasts with fig compote on side and garnish with rosemary sprigs.

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.