Apricot Chicken*
This recipe was demonstrated by Becky Courchesne from Frog Hollow Farm at CUESA's Farmhouse Cooks program on June 14, 2008.
Serves 4
INGREDIENTS
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 medium yellow onions-chopped finely
2 cloves garlic
½ teaspoon ginger
½ teaspoon dried chilies
¼ teaspoon garam masala**
1 whole chicken, cut up 3-31/2 lbs
2 medium tomatoes –skinned and seeded, or 3 whole canned tomatoes
2 teaspoons salt
2 cups chicken stock or combination chicken stock and water
¼ teaspoon saffron
2 tablespoons hot milk 6-7 apricots, washed, halved and stones removed
PREPARATION
- Rinse the chicken pieces in cold water then pat dry with a paper towel. Pound the garlic, ginger and dried chilies with 1 teaspoon of the salt into a paste. Sprinkle the saffron over the warm milk and set aside.
- In a sauce pan with a tight fitting lid or Dutch oven saute the onions in the olive oil until translucent. Then add the ginger/chile/garlic paste and saute for 2-3 minutes more.
- Add the chicken, garam masala, tomatoes and the remaining salt. Add the chicken stock and or water and simmer covered until the chicken is tender and the liquid has reduced to about ½ its original volume (about 45 minutes). Add the milk/saffron and the apricots. Simmer slowly until the apricots are soft. Serve warm over basmati rice with chopped pistachios or almonds
* Recipe adapted from Cooking the Indian Way (Hosain & Pasricha)
** Garam Masala is a mixture of spices:
8 oz coriander
2 oz cinnamon
2 oz peppercorn
1teaspoon nutmeg
4 oz cumin
2 oz cloves
4 oz cardamom