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 I'm going to have twist your arm and insist you make
this...it's so unbelievably full of flavor, it left me speechless.
That's pretty hard to do. This also does not have to be spicy. For
the record, mine was not. I only used 1/4 teaspoon of red pepper
flakes. The suggested amount is one teaspoon for spicy, but I knew
that would leave the kids out, so I went easy.
The trick to
this dish is a 24 hour marinade. It infuses the chicken, making it
unbelievably flavorful, tender and juicy. It's nothing less than
incredible. Honestly, when I tasted it, I wanted to use it as salad
dressing.
This is a great weeknight dish but it is by far
company worthy. It's sweet and spicy (if you choose it to be) and
looks so beautiful. Makes sure to serve it over rice or couscous so
you can drizzle the sauce from the pan and catch all the wonderful
flavors.
Put this together while you are making dinner the night
before and throw it in the fridge. The next day all you have to do is
bake it, it's so simple.
Spicy Chicken Thighs with Apricots and Olives
Adapted from FOODday
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/3 cup honey
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
Crushed red pepper flakes (determine your own amount of spice, 1/4 teaspoon for non-spicy or 1 teaspoon for spicy)
1-1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 teaspoon smoked Spanish paprika (do not substitute, it's available everywhere)
1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup dried apricots, coarsely chopped
1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro, plus extra for garnish
1-1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs (4 large thighs)
In
a small bowl whisk together the lemon juice, honey, cinnamon, pepper
flakes, salt, pepper, cumin and smoked paprika. Stir in the olives,
apricots and cilantro.
Trim any excess fat from the chicken
thighs and place in a large zip-top plastic bag. Pour the marinade
over and seal the bag. Turn to coat all of the chicken and refrigerate
for 24 hours (do not skip the 24 hour part), turning occasionally.
Preheat
oven to 375 degrees. Arrange the chicken thighs in a single layer in a
shallow 2-quart (no larger) baking dish. Pour the marinade with the
olives and apricots over the chicken. Bake for 45-50 minutes, or until
the chicken registers 165 degrees on an instant read thermometer and
juices run clear with a fork. (I used my meat thermometer that I
placed in the thickest part of one of the thighs towards the middle of
the dish so I did not even use a timer.)
Garnish each portion with a little chopped cilantro. Serve over rice or couscous.
Cathy is currently in the development stages of her vineyard and
winery in the Willamette Valley of Oregon. She is a food writer for
Davis Life Magazine and blogs daily about wine, food and everyday
living. She lives with her husband
and two sons. You can visit her at noblepig.com.
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