Chicken Terrine With Leeks Apricots Food

CHICKEN TERRINE WITH LEEKS & APRICOTS

Steps:

• Put the chicken thighs into a pan with the stock and a string-tied bundle of 2 bay leaves, a few of the thyme sprigs and a little of the parsley. Add a few leek trimmings, the peppercorns and ½ tsp salt. Add water to just cover the meat, if needed. Bring to the boil, then cover and gently simmer for 30 mins.
• Meanwhile, lightly butter a 900g loaf tin (ours was 12cm x 22cm x 7cm) and line with cling film, leaving plenty of overhang. Melt the butter in a frying pan, then add the leeks, shallots and some seasoning. Cook for 10 mins over a medium heat until starting to colour. Add the bacon and garlic and cook for 2 mins more until the bacon is cooked through. Leave to cool.
• Add the chicken breast to the stock mixture and top up with hot water to cover. Bring to the boil, then cover and simmer gently for another 20 mins. When ready, the chicken breast will be cooked through and the thigh meat will pull away easily from the bones. Lift the meat from the pan, drain the stock and leave to cool until it is just warm.
• Discard the bones and any knobbly bits, then roughly chop the chicken. Stir into the leek mixture, along with 2 tsp more thyme leaves, the apricots and the brandy.
• Soak the gelatine in cold water for 5 mins until floppy. Squeeze out the excess water, stir into 300ml of the warm stock, then mix with the chicken. Put a few bay leaves in the base of the tin, then spoon the chicken mixture on top and press down well. Cover with the cling film. Leave to cool, then chill thoroughly - overnight is best. Can be made up to three days ahead.
• To serve, slice the terrine while it's still wrapped in cling film, then carefully peel the cling film off each slice. Drizzle the toast slices with olive oil and grill until golden brown and crisp, then sprinkle with a little salt. Serve the terrine with the toast and our yogurt piccalilli & crisp kale salad.

CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS

Steps:

• Combine apricots in a bowl with vinegar, wine and 1/4 cup water. Let soak while you brown the chicken.
• Turn the heat to medium high under a 12-inch nonstick skillet, and add chicken pieces, skin side down. Cook, rotating but not turning pieces so they brown evenly. When they are nicely browned - take your time - turn them so they are skin side up. Make a little space to add the onion, and cook, stirring the onion occasionally until it has softened a bit, a minute or two.
• Add apricot mixture and bring to a boil; cook for a minute, then turn heat to low and cover. Cook until chicken is done, 15 to 20 minutes. Uncover, raise heat and season chicken well with salt and pepper. Boil away any excess liquid; sauce should not be too watery. Serve with white rice or any other cooked grain, or bread.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN WITH DRIED APRICOTS & PRUNES

Steps:

• Combine all above ingredients (****EXCEPT brown sugar & white wine) into marinade. Place chicken in a zip lock bag or a baking dish that can be tightly sealed. Cover the chicken with marinade. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight if possible.
• One hour before baking: Time to arrange in the baking dish and bring to room temperature before cooking.
• Distribute chicken in single layer in baking pan, DO NOT discard the marinade. Pour it over the chicken with all the other marinade ingredients. Sprinkle brown sugar over the chicken breasts and pour white wine around the breasts.
• Preheat oven: Cook UNCOVERED at 325 for 50 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and no longer pink. Cooking time may vary depending on the thickness of your chicken breasts. Cook to 165°F
• Arrange cooked chicken breasts on a platter, top with the sauce and other ingredients.
• NOTE:.
• This recipe yields a lot of sauce, so you can double the chicken content without having to double the marinade. It's nice because you can make it all ahead of time!

CHICKEN LIVERS WITH LEEKS AND APRICOTS

Steps:

• Clean the livers and leeks.
• Combine the flour, pepper and salt.
• Dredge the livers in the flour mixture.
• In a stainless steel pan heat oil and fry livers until brown on all sides and remove set aside.
• In separate pan fry bacon and discard fat (can add to oil in other pan for more of a bacon scent prior to adding leeks) remove bacon set aside.
• Add leeks and apricots to oil where livers were fried until leeks soften lightly 5-8 minutes.
• Add remainder of flour mixture and fry 1 minute.
• Add balsamic vinegar fry quickly.
• Add wine and stir in butter.
• Place bacon and livers back into mixture and cook for 10-15 minutes until liver cooks through.
• Add a small amount of water or stock to mixture ensuring the gravy does not thicken too much. as it thickens keep adding water or stock ensuring it is not too thin or too thick.
• For an appetizer, separate Belgian endive leaves and place mixture on leaf.
• For a meal, place on a bed egg noodles or favorite rice.