Spicy Apricot Chicken With Bonus Leftovers Idea Food

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.

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.

CHICKEN WITH APRICOTS, LEMON AND SAFFRON

Steps:

• Season chicken generously on both sides with salt and pepper. (If time permits, do this an hour before cooking or up to 24 hours in advance. Keep refrigerated, but remove from refrigerator 1 hour before cooking.)
• In a large skillet over medium heat, place chicken pieces skin-side down in one layer. Let chicken cook slowly to brown well on one side, about 15 to 20 minutes. When skin is crisp and lifts easily from the pan, it is ready. Flip and cook 2 minutes more.
• Meanwhile, make saffron water: In a small cup, combine saffron with lemon juice and 1/4 cup water. Set aside to steep.
• Heat oven to 350 degrees. Transfer chicken, skin-side up, to a baking dish. Pour off some fat from the skillet, reserving about 2 tablespoons. Add onions, salt lightly and cook, stirring, until softened and beginning to brown, about 10 minutes.
• Add saffron water and threads, tomato purée, cayenne, coriander, fennel, cardamom and wine to onions and bring to a simmer.
• Pour onion mixture over chicken. Tuck apricots and lemon slices among the chicken pieces. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour. Remove cover and bake until lightly browned, about 10 minutes. (Recipe can be prepared to this point up to 2 days ahead. When ready to serve, reheat in a 350-degree oven, in a covered pot, 30 to 45 minutes.)
• To serve, garnish with cilantro and mint leaves. Sprinkle with pine nuts and serve hot.

SPICY APRICOT CHICKEN (WITH BONUS LEFTOVERS IDEA)

Steps:

• In a large skillet, thoroughly brown and cook chicken on all sides in vegetable oil. Add garlic; saute lightly (don't let brown).
• In a medium bowl, combine apricot preserves, Dijon mustard, dried apricots, chicken broth and crushed red pepper. Evenly pour over chicken in skillet. Simmer, covered, 5 minutes over low heat till sauce is slightly thickened.
• Leftovers: Drain off the sauce and chill. Chop up the leftover chicken and apricots. Add some mayo, flaked toasted almonds and sliced green onions, and you have a delicious chicken and apricot salad.

SWEET & SPICY APRICOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Put a kettle of water on to boil. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large non-stick frying pan and add the chicken in a single layer. Scatter the spices on top and leave to cook, without stirring, for about aminute. Flick the chicken pieces over and cook for a minute or so on the other side.
• While you are waiting, tip the couscous into a saucepan. Pour 400ml/14fl oz boiling water over the couscous and allow to bubble on the heat for a minute. Cover, turn off the heat and leave to soak for 5 minutes.
• While the couscous is soaking, pour 300ml/1⁄2 pint boiling water over the chicken in the frying pan and crumble in the stock cube. Tip in the conserve, beans and olives, add salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste, stir, then leave to bubble gently for 5minutes. Meanwhile, chop the coriander and sprinkle it into the pan before serving.
• Fork through the couscous - it should have plumped up by now - and pile into 2 large shallow bowls. Spoon the chicken, beans and olives on top and pour the sweet and fragrantly spiced juices over.

SAUCY APRICOT CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place chicken in a 3-qt. slow cooker. Combine the preserves and soup mix; spoon over chicken. Cover and cook on low for 4-5 hours or until meat is tender. Serve with rice.

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.