Spiced Chicken Apricot Pastilla Food

SPICED CHICKEN & APRICOT PASTILLA

Steps:

• Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large casserole dish and cook the onion and garlic for 8 mins until soft. Add the spices and stir for about 30 seconds until aromatic, then add the chicken. Pour in the chicken stock and season. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 45 mins, or until the chicken is tender.
• Lift the chicken pieces onto a plate. Add the honey and almonds to the cooking liquid and simmer until thick and reduced by half, then turn off the heat. Meanwhile, finely shred the chicken with two forks, discarding the skin and bones. Return the chicken to the sauce and stir in the lemon zest and juice, apricots and parsley, then leave to cool. Can be chilled for up to two days.
• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6 with a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Unwrap the pastry, keeping any you're not working with under a damp tea towel so it doesn't dry out. Brush a 22-23cm springform or loose-bottomed round tin with a little oil. Push two pastry sheets into the tin to line the base, brushing them with melted butter and leaving a little extra up the sides. Repeat this with two more sheets across the other diameter of the tin so all sides are lined. Patch up any holes or thin patches with another sheet of buttered pastry.
• Spoon in the chicken mixture and pat down evenly. Sit another two sheets of pastry on top, brushing the melted butter between the layers again, and scrunching the edges of the pastry around the sides. Brush the top with a little more butter and bake on the heated baking sheet for 30 mins until crisp and golden brown. It's best eaten warm, so leave to cool for about 30 mins. Dust with a pinch of icing sugar and cinnamon to serve, if you like.

SPICY APRICOT-GLAZED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Preheat broiler. In a small saucepan, combine the first five ingredients; cook and stir over medium heat until heated through., Place chicken in a 15x10x1-in. baking pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 3-4 in. from heat until a thermometer reads 165°, 6-8 minutes on each side. Brush occasionally with preserves mixture during the last 5 minutes of cooking.

ASIAN SPICED CHICKEN WITH VANILLA APRICOT SAUCE

Steps:

• Combine chicken cubes, onion, soy sauce, lemon juice, olive oil, and spices in medium bowl. Cover and marinate in refrigerator for 15 minutes.
• Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken mixture with marinade and cook 7-10 minutes or until chicken is done. Stir in spinach and cook 1 minute. Drain liquid from pan. Serve over rice.
• To prepare vanilla sauce, combine all ingredients in a small bowl and microwave for 25 seconds or until warm. Serve sauce on side, or pour over chicken mixture.

SPICY APRICOT CHICKEN THIGHS

Steps:

• In a small bowl, combine the first five ingredients; rub over chicken. Place chicken, skin side up, on a rack in a shallow roasting pan. Bake at 375° for 35-40 minutes or until a thermometer reads 170°-175°., Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, combine sauce ingredients; bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat; simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally., Turn chicken. Spoon some sauce over chicken. Broil 4-6 in. from the heat for 3-5 minutes or until browned. Turn chicken again; baste with sauce. Broil for 2-3 minutes longer or until browned. Serve with remaining sauce.