Sunday, January 16, 2011

A New Recipe

I've come up with a new recipe, I thought I'd share. For two reasons 1. because I like to share and 2. I have no idea what to call it.

You will need:

Spices and herbs
1 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp ground corriander
1 tsp paprika
about 5 or 6 cardamom pods crushed in a mortar & pestle
1 tsp mustard seeds
1 tsp ground cinnamon
handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped.

4 chicken breasts, skinned and diced
small bag of dried apricots
1 tin of cider
1 tin of green lentils
1 tin of chickpeas
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, chopped.

In a large sauce pan, heat some oil. I cook with extra-virgin olive oil out of preference. Proper foodies will say with this kind of cooking it makes no-nevermind as the flavour gets cooked out. But it's the only oil I have in the house.

When the oil is hot dump the onion and pepper in. Fry for a few minutes until it's a bit soft and then add all the spices except the fresh corriander. Fry and breathe deep for a couple of minutes. It's smells divine. It really does. Add the chicken. When the chicken is all nice and brown, throw in the tins of lentils and chickpeas. Stir well. Add the cider a bit at a time until chicken is all covered and bubbling nicely, turn the heat down to simmer. Add the apricots and fresh coriander. Cover the pot and occasionally stir.

With dishes like this, I have no idea how long they take to cook. I think it takes about an hour. About 15 mins before you'd like to eat, put some rice on. Take the lid off the pan of chicken. You'll need to stir regularly. The idea is to get the liquid to evaporate, to thicken up the sauce a bit. When you're happy with the consistency and the rice is ready, remove from heat and serve.

Enjoy!

There is no reason why you could throw other things into the pot. Mushrooms, the odd potato would work too. If you like a bit of heat, add dried or fresh chillis when you fry the onion and pepper. If you, like me, adore cream, just before you're ready to serve, take the pot off the heat and add some double cream or creme fraiche or sour cream. Return to heat, but make sure it doesn't come up to the boil. Simmer is the trick here.

If you are moved enough to cook this, please let me know how you get on.

So finally, what do I call this dish? Gee's husband tends to think anything with apricots, automatically becomes Moroccan. I think a Moroccan might take exception to this. This dish smells and tastes fantastic, so I've just been calling it Fragrant Chicken, but that's not terribly exciting.

Oh yeah, these quanities fed 3 adults and two teenage boys. I'm sure it would be great for left-overs, except there are very few left-overs in this house these days.

21 comments:

  1. damn, but that sounds delish, sugar! xoxox

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  2. Mmmmmmmm!


    Call it Chicken Journeying!

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  3. savannah ~ thank you my dear. One day, I hope to cook it for you.

    xl ~ good idea, I'll hold that name and see what else people come up with. Ooo...blog competition! By the way the same holds true for you too. One day honey, you'll be perched in my kitchen drinking wine and watching me cook.

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  4. Yes, it does sound Moroccan, doesn't it? The combo of the spices and the chick peas and the apricots. I did a stew recently that I called my More-ish Moorish stew because of the influences. Sounds like a really delightful dish for a cold January day, for sure! Would love to have a huge bowl of it now and sop it all up with some crusty wood fired Italian bread! Well done, girl!

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  5. la diva ~ thanks so much for coming by and checking it out. Mmm...crusty Italian bread...fabulous idea.

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  6. Mmmmm not a big fan of apricots. I usually tell people I'm allergic but I am not.

    It does sound amazing though.

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  7. cyberpete ~ I'll try and remember that for when you come to visit. Oh is that a hint I see before me?

    No reason why you couldn't leave out the apricots and try something else...like chopped apple. I wouldn't use a cooking apple, they fall apart and go mushy.

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  8. Can you taste the apricots?

    The stuff I've had with apricots have had this funky apricot taste.

    Hint, hint, hint..

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  9. cyberpete ~ the apricots break up quite a lot, so if you don't like them, I'm pretty sure it'll be yuck for you. Try it with apples.

    Oh yeah? What's you hint then?

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  10. That does sound good, I like the combination of spices. Not that keen on fruit and meat, so I'd probably put in just a few apricots. I can see the flavour working in there, so I'd not leave them out. Pork would be good too, wouldn't it.

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  11. z ~ mmmm...pork would be really good in there. I'll have to try it and swap the apricots for apples.

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  12. Roses, I’m not very good at coming up with recipe names, but this does sound wonderful – Moroccan-ish and fragrant indeed! Sounds like you are a cook after my own heart, throwing in bits of what appeals to you and cooking “until done.” I love the lentils in this dish and I’ll defend the apricots too. I never thought I cared for apricots until I tried dried apricots as part of a stuffing for pork loin that was just heavenly. Great job, girlfriend!

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  13. eggy ~ thanks so much for dropping by. Great to know this dish has general thumbs up (except for Cyberpete, who hates apricots).

    You've just described my cooking style: looking cupboard, throw in pot, cook til done. I don't weigh or time anything (probably explains why I don't bake).

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  14. I'm not sure what my hint is. You have any suggestions?

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  15. cyberpete ~ how about you come visit! There. Subtle enough for you?

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  16. Oh, I'd love that but I'd miss my sofa too mch at the moment. Or more truthfully my bank person liaison would kill me.

    I would totally love it though, of course I will come visit you once my bank person is satisfied with my balance. And I am a lot slimmer

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  17. Goodnight Roses,

    It does sound delicious and I think LaDiva is right about the bread. Name, xl tagged it.

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  18. cyberpete ~ one day sweetie, one day.

    ms scarlet ~ yes, cook. I like to eat well occasionally. As Boy would live off of pasta and bacon sandwiches, one of us has to cook every now and then.

    karl ~ glad you liked the idea of it.

    I had another suggestion on FB, scrumpy tangine. What do you think?

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  19. You won't be able to avoid it.

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  20. cyberpete ~ I'm planning it already. Pampering, shopping, cooking good food...

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