Braised Chicken with Figs and Grapes

I recently bought a whole bunch of dried figs, dates, plums (prunes) and California apricots in preparation for a Tu B’Shevat food demo/class I am doing for Temple Beth El in Stamford, CT on Thursday, January 18th, 2024 (it’s free, so if you’re in the area, give us a call).

Tu B’Shevat is a joyous holiday, a kind of Earth Day, when we celebrate and try to be mindful of our planet and its resources. This was a day I remember my parents donating money to plant trees in Israel.

With its focus on earth’s bounty, the food for this holiday features lots of fruit, including those dried fruits I mentioned. Like this chicken dish, which is braised with apple cider (sometimes I use orange juice or orange-pineapple juice), seasoned with curry and ginger and of course, includes dried figs (though any dried fruit will do!).

braised CHICKEN WITH FIGS AND GRAPES

• 1-3/4 cups apple cider (or use orange or orange-pineapple juice)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 6 bone-in pieces of chicken

• 1 shallot, chopped (or use a small onion)

• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

• 1/2 cup diced dried figs (or use other dried fruit such as prunes, apricots, nectarines or dates)

• 2-1/2 teaspoons curry powder

• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 cup halved fresh grapes

• chopped fresh mint

• cooked bulgur wheat, rice or noodles, optional

Boil the cider for about 5 minutes or until it has reduced to 3/4 cup. Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside on a plate. Add the shallot, ginger and diced figs to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes over low-medium heat. Return the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle the ingredients with curry powder, Aleppo pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. Pour in the reduced cider. Turn the pieces of chicken to coat all sides with the pan ingredients. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add the grapes and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint. Serve on a bed of cooked bulgur wheat, rice or noodles if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings

Tzimmes Chicken

 Not everyone in my family likes brisket, so on Rosh Hashanah I make a second main course. This year I had planned on Baked Chicken with Fig-Orange Balsamic Sauce, the most popular dish on my website. But I’ve not been able to get fresh figs.

Wow, that was a short fig season!

So, I’m going to make this Tzimmes Chicken, which is basically braised/roasted chicken plus some of the ingredients I use to make one of my modern meatless tzimmes recipes.

Although the Yiddish word tzimmes means “a big fuss,”this recipe certainly isn’t! It’s not complicated, it’s easy to cook and you can make it ahead and reheat.

Fyi, a few years ago this recipe appeared in The Jewish Week Food & Wine, but the recipes on their website are no longer be available.

Shanah Tovah.

ROASTED TZIMMES CHICKEN

• 3 1/2 to 4-pound chicken, cut into 8 pieces

• 3 tablespoons olive oil or vegetable oil

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 16-18 dried apricots

• 12 large Medjool dates, pitted

• 1 teaspoon grated fresh orange peel

• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary

• 3 tablespoons Balsamic vinegar

• 2 tablespoons honey

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Place a large oven-proof sauté pan in the oven (cast iron if you have it) for 15 minutes. Dry the chicken using paper towels. Rub one tablespoon of the olive oil over the pieces and season to taste with salt and pepper. Place the chicken pieces, skin down for breasts and thighs in the hot pan and place the pan in the oven. Roast for 10 minutes. While the chicken is roasting, combine the onion, garlic, apricots, dates, orange peel, rosemary, Balsamic vinegar, honey and the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil in a bowl. Toss the ingredients to distribute them evenly. After the initial 10 minutes of roasting, turn the chicken pieces. The skin should be browned, if not, return to the oven for another 3-4 minutes. Scatter the fruit mixture on top of and between the chicken pieces. Return the pan to the oven. Turn the heat to 350 degrees. Roast for another 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through (a meat thermometer will read 160 degrees). Baste 2-3 times during roasting. Let rest for about 10 minutes before serving.

Makes 4-6 servings

Country Captain (Curry Chicken)

Country Captain

A few years ago I cooked a recipe for Country Captain — a curry chicken dish that’s very popular in the South.

We liked it so much that I made it many times over the years and in fact, used to include the recipe in a few of my cooking classes.

Then, “knowing how way leads onto way” I prepared other recipes, new ones, experimental ones, riffs on old ones — and forgot about Country Captain.

Recently, when I was cleaning out some files, I found my old recipe (computer paper version, sauce-stained of course).

I made the dish for dinner recently and lo and behold! We liked it again!

Country Captain started as an Indian dish but somehow, because of its popularity in the Lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia it became a Southern specialty. There are all sorts of stories about the recipe’s provenance and why it became such an iconic regional dish. I’m not sure of the whys and hows. All I know is how delicious it is. Apparently it was a favorite of Franklin Delano Roosevelt and General George Patton.

Basically Country Captain is braised chicken and tomatoes with curry seasoning and served over cooked white rice. There’s usually a garnish of toasted almonds, which add some crunch and flavor, but I’ve made the dish without the nuts and it’s just fine!

Country Captain

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut into 8 parts (or 4 breasts or whole legs)

• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

• 3 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 medium onion, sliced

• 1 medium bell pepper, cut into chunks

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 3 large tomatoes, coarsely chopped

• 2 teaspoons curry powder, mild or hot or a combination

• 1-1/2 teaspoons thyme leaves (or use 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme)

• 3/4 teaspoon salt or to taste

• freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 1/2 to 2/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock or tomato sauce

• 2 tablespoons chopped parsley

• 1/4 cup raisins or currants

• Cooked white rice

• 1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds, optional

• chopped parsley for garnish, optional

Wash the chicken and dredge the pieces in the flour. Heat 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add pieces of the chicken a few at a time and cook for 5-8 minutes until lightly browned, turning pieces occasionally. Remove and set aside on a plate. Heat the remaining vegetable oil in the pan. Add the onion and bell pepper and cook for 2-3 minutes, or until vegetables have softened. Add the garlic and cook briefly. Add the tomatoes, curry powder, thyme, salt and pepper, and stir to combine ingredients. Pour in 1/2 cup of the stock. Return the chicken to the pan, spoon the pan ingredients over the chicken, cover the pan and cook for 20 minutes. Stir in the parsley and raisins or currants. Add more stock if the pan seems dry. Cook another five minutes or until chicken is cooked through. Serve over cooked white rice.  Sprinkle with the almonds and parsley if desired.

Makes 4 servings

Chicken Cacciatore

I recently read a book about four women who entered a cooking contest in World War II England. One of the contestants had met an Italian POW who told her about Italian cuisine (virtually unknown in England at the time) and taught her how to make chicken cacciatore.

The book was just okay but the recipes were fascinating, what with dealing with rationed food and all sorts of shortages. One woman used whale meat for her entree; the contestant who planned to make chicken cacciatore actually used rabbit.

In addition, I realized that it had been years, maybe more than a decade, since I cooked chicken cacciatore.

I got out my old recipe, and, like the wartime home cooks who learned to be flexible because ingredients were difficult to get, I made a few changes based on what I had at hand. I only had grape tomatoes; had fresh parsley but not fresh basil or oregano. I was minus a bell pepper (which we don’t love anyway), and whereas my original recipe called for red wine, I had a bottle of white open, so I used that instead.

The result was a complete success.

Here is the recipe with flexible ingredient options. Might be a nice change of pace for Shabbat chicken.

Chicken Cacciatore

• 1 broiler-fryer chicken cut into 8 pieces (or use 4 large breasts or whole legs)

• 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

• 3 tablespoons olive oil

• 1 large onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 8 ounces fresh mushrooms, cut into bite size pieces

• 3 cups halved cherry or grape tomatoes (or use 4-5 plum tomatoes, chopped)

• 1 small bell pepper, seeded and chopped, optional

• 1/2 cup wine (red or white)

• 1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock

• 1/4 cup chopped fresh herbs: parsley, oregano, basil (or use 2 tablespoons chopped parsley plus 1 teaspoon each of dried oregano and basil)

• cooked pasta, rice or polenta

Coat the chicken pieces with some flour and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Cook the chicken pieces a few at a time for 5-6 minutes, turning them occasionally, until they are lightly crispy. Remove the chicken pieces and set aside. Add the remaining olive oil to the pan. Add the onions and cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, tomatoes and bell pepper, if used, and cook for 5-6 minutes until the vegetables are slightly softened. Pour in the wine and stock. Add the herbs. Cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer the ingredients for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is tender and cooked through. Serve on top of cooked pasta, rice or polenta.

Makes 4-6 servings

Braised Chicken in Coconut Curry

Braised Chicken in Coconut Curry

Our family does not observe the lunar new year but that’s no reason not to feel happy for those who do. A new year on any calendar brings hope for a happy, healthy, safe and meaningful year to come.

Everyone can relate to that!

So, in honor of the Year of the Tiger, here’s a dish inspired by my travels to Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia.

BRAISED CHICKEN IN COCONUT CURRY

•  One chicken, cut into 8 pieces (or use 4 large chicken breast halves or 4 whole legs)

• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

• 1 onion, chopped

• 2 cloves garlic, chopped

• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh ginger

• 2 teaspoons chopped fresh chili pepper

• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped lemongrass

• 1 tablespoon tomato paste

• 1 teaspoon curry powder

• 1-1/2 cups coconut milk (13-15 ounce can)

• salt to taste

• chopped chives or parsley for garnish

Wash and dry the chicken pieces. Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Cook the chicken a few pieces at a time, turning them occasionally, until lightly browned, about 8 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the onion to the pan and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the garlic, ginger, chili pepper and lemongrass and cook, briefly, stirring constantly. Whisk the tomato paste, curry powder and coconut milk together until thoroughly blended. Pour the liquid into the pan. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Bring to a boil, cover the pan, lower the heat and simmer for 25-30 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Serve garnished with a sprinkle of fresh chopped chives or parsley.

Makes 4 servings

Chicken with Figs and Grapes

Tu B'Shevat may not be the most well-known Jewish holiday but it always conjures up good thoughts and fond memories for me.

First: it was when my parents gave money to plant trees in Israel.

Second: it was when my Mom would buy dried figs that came in a wreath of sorts, the figs tied together with string, and I ate at least half of them.

Third: it was when my Mom made her famous Date-Nut Bread.

And more: spring is coming soon!

And finally: it is one delicious holiday, featuring foods that include lots of fruits and vegetables. 

So, this year, to celebrate I am making this chicken dish, which includes figs and grapes, and served on cooked, fluffy bulgur wheat.

 

Chicken With Figs and Grapes

• 1-3/4 cups apple cider
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 6 bone-in pieces of chicken
• 1 shallot, chopped
• 1-1/2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger
• 1/2 cup diced dried figs
• 2-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
• 1/4 teaspoon Aleppo pepper (or use 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper)
• salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
• 1 cup halved fresh grapes
• chopped fresh mint
• cooked bulgur wheat, optional

Boil the cider for about 5 minutes or until it has reduced to 3/4 cup.  Heat the vegetable oil in a sauté pan over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 8-10 minutes, or until lightly browned, turning the pieces occasionally. Remove the chicken pieces and set them aside on a plate. Add the shallot, ginger and diced figs to the pan and cook for 1-2 minutes over low-medium heat. Return the chicken to the pan. Sprinkle the ingredients with curry powder, Aleppo pepper and salt and black pepper to taste. Pour in the reduced cider. Turn the pieces of chicken to coat all sides with the pan ingredients. Cover the pan, turn the heat to low and cook for 15 minutes. Add the grapes and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped fresh mint. Serve on a bed of cooked bulgur wheat if desired.

Makes 4-6 servings