Image by Oliver Parini
Moroccan Style Chicken with Apricots and Almonds
From The Vermont Farm Table Cookbook: 1st Edition by Tracey Medeiros
Recipe by Ariel’s Restaurant
Serves 4
This is an old favorite of Lee Duberman’s, which she has made for every restaurant that she has owned. It is rich, earthy, and inexpensive to make. The dish is best made with chicken thighs, preferably from high-quality local chickens. Pomegranate molasses is syrup made from reduced pomegranate juice; it can be found at Middle Eastern markets or in the international aisle at the supermarket. If you don’t feel like firing up the grill, you can cook the chicken indoors using a grill pan. Serve this chicken on a bed of Mediterranean Couscous Pilaf.
Chicken and Marinade
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 cup Vermont honey
1/4 cup pomegranate molasses
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 2 3/4 pounds), trimmed
1 teaspoon kosher salt
Sauce
4 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 carrots, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 cup chopped dried apricots
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1/4 cup cold water
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped toasted almonds
1. To make the chicken and marinade: Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Add the garlic, coriander, and cinnamon, and cook, stirring the mixture often, for about 1 minute. Stir in the honey and molasses and heat until just bubbling. Pour half of the mixture into a small bowl and set aside to cool. Reserve the remaining marinade mixture in the saucepan.