Meyer lemon chicken with fresh cranberries

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There's nothing I love more than a simple roast chicken recipe that fits into my low carb ketogenic diet and is also drop-dead gorgeous.

Meyer Lemon Chicken with Fresh Cranberries cooked in my cast iron skillet is just beautiful, isn't it? Golden chicken skin. Orange-yellow Meyer lemons from my backyard tree. Ruby-red cranberries. I love looking at it. Eating it is pretty heavenly, too.

I made this yesterday for our very small Thanksgiving lunch. We had a change of plans this year because my 15-year-old son got sick. We were supposed to travel to northern California to visit my in-laws, whom I adore. But we didn't want to bring them his germs, and he wasn't feeling up to making the trip. So my husband went to share the holiday with his parents, and the teen and I stayed home and spent the day in our pajamas. I made him hot honey lemonade and soup, and we both had roast chicken for lunch.

I bought a bag of fresh cranberries because they were so beautiful...but then, in my current mode of avoiding sugar, juice, and most natural and artificial sweeteners, I wasn't sure what to do with them. News flash: cranberries without sugar are like tiny red lemons. I love the tartness paired with savory chicken thighs and didn't miss the sugar at all.

Notes: Frozen cranberries would work fine, as would regular lemons instead of Meyer lemons. Don't skimp on the salt and pepper.

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Meyer Lemon Chicken with Fresh Cranberries

by Erika Kerekes November-24-2017

Roast chicken thighs with fragrant Meyer lemons and fresh cranberries for this drop-dead stunning skillet dinner. The cranberries are very tart, but that's what makes the dish work. Resist the urge to add sugar - you don't need it.

Ingredients

• 4 large chicken thighs, skin on, bone-in
• salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1 Meyer lemon, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh cranberries

Instructions

Heat the oven to 325 degrees F.Heat a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle the chicken thighs liberally with salt and pepper on both sides.Lay the chicken skin side down into the hot skillet. Cook without moving for 5-7 minutes, until the skin is golden brown and crisp.Turn the chicken thighs over and turn off the heat. Lay one beautiful slice of Meyer lemon on top of each piece of chicken. Scatter the remaining lemon slices and the fresh cranberries around the skillet. Slide the skillet into the oven. Roast the chicken for 50 minutes, until it is cooked through and the lemon slices on top have begun to caramelize.Remove the skillet from the oven. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings

Hatch chile chicken salad

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When Hatch chiles are in season, I turn into a crazy girl who stalks her local produce guy and pounces on every case he sets out. Thank goodness Melissa's Produce keeps Bob's Market, the family-owned market in my neighborhood, fully stocked with both mild and hot Hatch chiles when they're available.

Every year I roast dozens of Hatch chiles over an open flame right on my stove, slip off the charred skins, and freeze them in zip-top bags. (See How to Roast Hatch Chiles on Shockingly Delicious for detailed instructions.)

Hatch chiles have a unique flavor and meaty texture that's long been prized in New Mexico where they're grown. They can be hot or mild, but even the mild ones have a little kick. In fact, I love Hatch chiles so much that I created a new flavor of Not Ketchup around them - and now Tangerine Hatch Chile Not Ketchup is my best-selling sauce!

When I puree roasted Hatch chiles with mayonnaise and make chicken salad, my family weeps with joy. Okay, maybe they weep because it's spicy, but whatever. They really like it. And you will too.

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Hatch chile chicken salad

by Erika Kerekes August-21-2013

Roasted Hatch chiles add a welcome zing to this spicy chicken salad.

Ingredients

• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 4 mild or hot Hatch chiles, roasted, peeled, and seeded
• 1 lime, juice only
• 1 clove garlic
• 1 store-bought rotisserie chicken
• 1 bunch green onions, chopped
• salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Puree the mayonnaise, Hatch chiles, lime juice, and garlic in a blender or food processor until smooth.Pull the chicken meat off the bones, shredding it with your fingers. Discard the bones and skin (or save them to make chicken stock). Put the chicken meat in a large bowl with the green onions. Spoon the Hatch chile mayonnaise into the bowl and stir to combine. Add salt and freshly ground pepper to taste.Serve chilled. If you have time to let the chicken salad sit in the refrigerator for a few hours before serving, great - the flavors will mingle and intensify.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 5 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 4-6 servings

Almond-crusted pesto chicken breasts [low carb]

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Because I've been trying to follow a low-carb diet for the past year, I have spent a lot of time with almond flour. Almonds and almond flour are a staple of the low-carb high fat (LCHF) way of eating.

I've used almond flour for baking. I've made pancakes and waffles out of it. And I've used it as "breading" for vegetables, fish and chicken. It doesn't act quite the same as breadcrumbs or flour, but it's a very good substitute.

Following any healthy eating plan requires advance preparation. On the weekends, I often cook a large batch of chicken so I have something to pack in my lunchbox every day before I head to work.

This week I made almond-crusted pesto chicken breasts. Sometimes I make my own basil pesto, but I was pressed for time and used store-bought pesto. Which is totally, completely fine in a dish like this.

I packed the almond-crusted pesto chicken in my lunchbox with some oven-roasted tomatoes. One day I ate them cold. Today I warmed them in the microwave. I think I prefer it warm, but it was pretty darn good cold. I'll be making this again soon.

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Almond-Crusted Pesto Chicken

by Erika Kerekes June-28-2016

Chicken breasts brushed with basil pesto, coated in almond flour and grated cheese, and oven-roasted. An easy low-carb dinner recipe.

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup almond flour
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup basil pesto sauce
• 4 large chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a sheet pan or baking dish with nonstick cooking spray or brush it with olive oil.In a shallow bowl or on a plate, mix together the almond flour, grated cheese, garlic salt, and pepper. Put the basil pesto sauce in another bowl.Dip both sides of one chicken breast in the pesto sauce, then roll it in the almond flour mixture to coat. Place the almond-coated chicken on the baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining three chicken pieces.Bake the chicken about 50 minutes, until it is cooked through. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 55 mins Yield: 4 servings

Meyer lemon chicken thighs

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Meyer lemon chicken thighs. This is one of the easiest chicken dishes I have ever made, and I love it beyond all others.

It uses four ingredients, and that's counting salt and pepper. 

It's made in one pan (a heavy, ovenproof skillet).

It's fancy enough for company. 

It's paleo, gluten-free, grain-free, dairy-free, whole 30, low-carb, and probably ticks a few more boxes as well.

Oh. And it's delicious.

If you can't get your hands on Meyer lemons, any old lemon will do. I like Meyer lemons because they have an almost floral aroma and are less acidic than standard lemons. Also because they grow in my backyard. But seriously, use whatever lemons you have.

Ready? Time to cook.

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Meyer Lemon Chicken Thighs

by Erika Kerekes May-6-2016

A simple, delicious, stunningly beautiful chicken dish you will serve again and again. You need four ingredients, one hour, and a hearty appetite.

Ingredients

• 1 Meyer lemon (or regular lemon)
• 4 large chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 350 degrees F.Using a sharp knife, slice the lemon into very thin rounds. Set aside. Sprinkle both sides of the chicken thighs with the salt and pepper.Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Lay the chicken thighs in the skillet, skin side down. Cook without moving for about 6 minutes, until some of the fat has rendered and the skin is golden brown and crisp.Turn over the chicken thighs so the skin side is up. Lay a thin lemon slice on top of each chicken thigh. Tuck the remaining lemon pieces into the skillet, around the chicken pieces. Put the skillet into the oven. Roast about 45 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. If the lemon slices haven't started to caramelize (turn brown around the edges), turn on the broiler for no more than 1-2 minutes, watching the chicken carefully so it doesn't burn.Remove from the oven and serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings

Roast chicken with 40 cloves of garlic

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To paraphrase a popular chick flick:

In winter, we eat chicken with garlic.

On pink plates.

Note: This recipe is super easy when you buy one of those huge containers of peeled garlic cloves from Costco (or whichever big-box store you frequent).

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Roasted Garlic Chicken

by Erika Kerekes January-28-2016

Chicken. Garlic. Oven. What else do you need?

Ingredients

• 8 large chicken thighs, bone-in and skin on
• 1 Tablespoon herbes de Provence, Italian herb mix, or any other dried herb mix you prefer
• 1 cup fresh garlic cloves, peeled
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• salt and pepper

Instructions

Heat the oven to 450 degrees. Spray a large roasting pan with nonstick cooking spray.Lay the chicken pieces in the pan, skin side up. Sprinkle them with the dried herb mix and scatter the garlic cloves around them. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice over the chicken. Put the lemon halves in the roasting pan. Drizzle the chicken with the olive oil, then shower it generously with salt and pepper.Turn the chicken pieces over so the skin side is down. Put the roasting pan in the oven. Set the timer for 15 minutes. (This step crisps the skin.)After 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Bake another 40 minutes or until the chicken thighs are cooked through and very tender.Serve the chicken skin side up with the garlic cloves and pan juices poured over.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 55 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 4 servings

Paleo fried chicken with almond crust

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I've been trying to eat fewer grains lately. This is tough for me - no one is a bigger fan of the white starch category than I am. But hey, I'm coming up on 50. I figure it's time to make a few adjustments.

I came across a few "Paleo" recipes for fried chicken coated with almond meal instead of flour. I doubt I'll ever move all the way over to a true Paleo diet - it's pretty restrictive - but I thought I'd give almond-crusted fried chicken a try.

It. Was. Stupendous.

I went full-on Paleo and fried the chicken thighs in coconut oil, but if you're not following the Paleo diet strictly you can use any other high-heat frying oil, like grapeseed oil or canola oil.

ON THE SIDE: I served my fried chicken with my Not Ketchup fruit "ketchup" sauces, of course. Sweet and tangy, they're the perfect partner for this crispy, salty, umami-rich fried chicken. Pick up a bottle at NotKetchup.com or Amazon.com today!

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Paleo Fried Chicken With Almond Crust

by Erika Kerekes August-19-2015

Fried chicken coated in almond meal and spices and fried in coconut oil. Grain-free, Paleo and delicious!

Ingredients

• 2 eggs
• 2 cups almond meal or almond flour
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 4 cups coconut oil (can substitute grapeseed or canola oil)
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs

Instructions

Crack the eggs into a medium-sized bowl and whisk until frothy. In another bowl, mix together the almond meal, garlic salt, smoked paprika and pepper until combined. Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F.Heat the coconut oil over medium heat in a deep, heavy pot. I use a 5-quart cast iron Dutch oven. Get the oil up to about 350 degrees F. If you're too impatient to use a thermometer (like me), wait until the surface is visibly shimmering. Dip a piece of the chicken first into the egg, then into the almond meal mixture. Make sure the chicken is coated all over with the almond meal. Drop the chicken gently into the hot oil and fry until golden brown on both sides. You'll have to work in batches, frying three or four pieces at a time (depending on the size of your pot).When the chicken is golden brown, put it on a rack set over a sheet pan (or just on a sheet pan if you don't have a rack). When all the chicken is fried, slide the pan into the oven for 15 minutes. This will ensure that even the thickest parts of the chicken are cooked through and will re-warm the pieces you fried first.Serve hot with your favorite flavor of Not Ketchup for dipping.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 4 servings

Deviled eggs with duck skin "cracklins"

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My younger son, a newly minted teenager, knows what he likes and wants what he wants.

And this week what he wants are deviled eggs.

I believe in turning out self-sufficient young men who can feed themselves - and a dozen of their friends, too. So I taught him how to make deviled eggs.

He has now made three batches on his own. Well, two and a half. The first time he didn't let the eggs come to a full boil and ended up with oozing yolks and wobbly whites. But the next two batches were terrific.

He's been seasoning his with herbs like chervil, chives and thyme. Truth be told, I like my deviled eggs a little more straightforward - mustard, mayonnaise, salt and pepper. But I'll never turn down a bit of crunch on top, whether it's bacon, crushed croutons, or, as in this case, slivered duck skin baked to a crisp.

Admittedly, duck is a rare treat for us. I think the skin off chicken thighs would work - I'll try it and report back.

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Deviled eggs with duck skin "cracklins"

by Erika Kerekes March-9-2015

Simple, traditional deviled eggs topped with slivered duck skin that's been baked until crisp. A luxurious treat for a weeknight dinner at home or the fanciest of cocktail parties.

Ingredients

• 2 duck breast lobes, skins only (use meat for another dish)
• 1 dozen eggs
• 2 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/8 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• green onions, chopped (for garnish)

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.Slice the duck skins into 1/4-inch strips and spread them out on a sheet pan lined with aluminum foil. Slide the pan into the oven and bake until crisp, about 20 minutes (start checking after 10 minutes - do not let the duck skins burn). Remove the duck "cracklins" from the oven and use a slotted spoon to transfer them to a plate lined with paper towels. Let cool, then chop roughly.While the duck skins cook, put the eggs in a large pot and cover with cold water. Bring the pot to a rolling boil, clap on the lid, turn off the flame, and leave the covered pot sitting on the stove for 25 minutes.Drain the water from the pot, add cold water, and let the eggs cool for a few minutes. Peel the eggs and cut them in half horizontally.Carefully remove the yolks from the hard-boiled eggs. Put all the yolks in a small mixing bowl and add the mayonnaise, mustard, salt and pepper. Mash with a fork or whisk until very smooth.Use a small spoon or a piping bag to refill the egg white halves with the yolk mixture. Sprinkle with the duck "cracklins" and the chopped green onions. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 35 mins Total time: 40 mins Yield: 24 pieces

Erika's ultimate chicken burger, no grill required

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I know you're supposed to grill burgers.

But for chicken burgers - even when the ground chicken mixture includes plenty of dark meat - I find the grill too aggressive. There's nothing worse than a dry chicken burger. And that's what I get when I cook chicken burgers on the grill.

My favorite chicken burger is moist, well seasoned, studded with chopped green onions, and cooked in a skillet on the stove. Three ingredients, not counting the bun, the garnish, and the sauce. You'll have dinner on the table in less than half an hour.

About the sauce: My favorite for chicken burgers is Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup. The combination of sweet, tangy, peppery and savory brings a lot of zest to the delicate chicken. In fact, when I was first working on the recipes for my Not Ketchup sauces, I tested the blueberry prototype on chicken breasts, chicken thighs, chicken tenders, and roast chicken. Blueberries and chicken...who knew?

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Erika's Ultimate Chicken Burger

by Erika Kerekes July-16-2014

A moist chicken burger that's well seasoned, studded with green onions, and served with Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground chicken
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1 teaspoon garlic salt
• 1 Tablespoon olive oil
• 4 burger buns or rolls
• 1 cup Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup
• 2 cups baby lettuce mix or arugula

Instructions

In a large bowl, mix the ground chicken, green onions, and garlic salt with your hands until well combined. Divide the chicken mixture into four equal parts, then shape into four patties.Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then place the chicken burgers in the pan. Cook about 10 minutes on the first side, then flip and cook until the burgers are cooked all the way through, about 8 minutes more. Put the burgers on a plate, cover with foil, and let rest 5 minutes.To serve, spread some Blueberry White Pepper Not Ketchup on the bottom half of each bun and place a chicken burger on it. Drizzle with more Not Ketchup, add a handful of lettuce or arugula to each burger, and place the other half of each bun on top. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 4 servings

Smoky Date #NotKetchup turkey burger with arugula salad

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Good news: With the help of Smoky Date Not Ketchup, I finally created a turkey burger I can get excited about.

When it comes to burgers, I'm a beef girl. But I'm getting older and I want to stay healthy, so I'm trying to eat less red meat.

Ground turkey on its own doesn't do much for me. But this turkey burger gets a savory boost from chopped green onions, Dijon mustard and my Not Ketchup sauce. Drizzled with a simple dressing and served on a bed of arugula, this Smoky Date Not Ketchup turkey burger has tons of flavor and won't weigh you down.

We're in our honeymoon phase, Not Ketchup and I. Can't get enough of each other. Thanks for following along as I work like a maniac to get Not Ketchup off the ground and into stores - which, of course, includes a slew of Not Ketchup recipes.

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Smoky Date Not Ketchup Turkey Burgers with Arugula Salad

by Erika Kerekes February-16-2014

Moist, flavorful turkey burgers get a savory boost from green onions, Dijon mustard and Smoky Date Not Ketchup, a new gourmet dipping sauce created by food blogger Erika Kerekes. Served on a bed of arugula, this turkey burger satisfies for lunch or dinner without weighing you down.

Ingredients

• 1 pound ground turkey
• 3 Tablespoons Dijon mustard, divided
• 5 Tablespoons Smoky Date Not Ketchup, divided
• 1/2 cup green onions, chopped
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
• 2 Tablespoons grapeseed or canola oil
• 3 cups baby arugula, washed and dried
• 2 Tablespoons olive oil

Instructions

In a bowl, mix together the ground turkey, 2 Tablespoons of Dijon mustard, 3 Tablespoons of Smoky Date Not Ketchup, green onions and salt (wet hands work best). Form the mixture into two large patties about 1 inch thick. Place the flour on a plate and coat the patties on both sides with the flour. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.In a large ovenproof nonstick skillet over medium heat, warm the grapeseed or canola oil. Lay the patties in the pan and cook about 3 minutes on each side, until the turkey burgers are golden brown. Transfer the skillet to the oven for 10 minutes or until the turkey burgers are cooked through.While the turkey burgers are finishing in the oven, whisk together the remaining 1 Tablespoon mustard, 2 Tablespoons Smoky Date Not Ketchup, and olive oil in a small bowl.To serve, divide the arugula evenly between two large plates. Place one turkey burger on top of each bed of arugula, then drizzle the olive oil mixture on top of each burger and salad. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 20 mins Total time: 30 mins Yield: 2 servings

Game day chili with Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup

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Starting a new business like Not Ketchup is hard.

Starting a new business like Not Ketchup when you're also running another business like The Kerekes Group is really hard.

Starting a new business like Not Ketchup when you have another business to run and kids to feed and pay attention to and a husband to feed and pay attention to and laundry to fold and parties to throw and conferences to attend and meetings to lead and....well, you get the idea.

To be clear, I am not complaining. At all. I love my new business, love my work, love my family, love my food blogging colleagues. Everything is going extremely well. I'm just busy and tired.

Which is why I wasn't able to muster up anything fancy for the February meeting of Food Bloggers Los Angeles. The potluck theme was "Chocolate and Champagne." I made chili. Fortunately, my chili has a secret ingredient that kept me within the rules.

And here's a new discovery: A slug of Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup did great things for this pot of chili. A little sweet, a little smoky, a little spicy, a little acid - it was just the thing. Highly recommend.

[For those of you who missed the news, Not Ketchup is my new line of "ketchups" made with fruit instead of tomatoes. Yes, I know tomatoes are botanically fruits. You know what I mean. Click here to learn more about Not Ketchup and order online if you're so inclined.]

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Game Day Chili with Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup

by Erika Kerekes February-3-2014

A big pot of this slightly spicy chili makes any game day a special event. The two secret ingredients: cocoa powder and Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup.

Ingredients

• 2 pounds ground beef
• 1 pound ground turkey
• 2 large yellow onions, diced
• 2 red bell peppers, diced
• 1/3 cup chili powder
• 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
• 4 15-ounce cans dark red kidney beans
• 2 28-ounce cans crushed tomatoes in puree
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup
• shredded cheese and chopped green onions (for garnish)

Instructions

In a large pot, brown the ground beef and ground turkey together over medium-high heat until no longer pink. Add the onions and red bell peppers and cook another 5 minutes until the vegetables are starting to wilt.Add the chili powder, cocoa powder, beans, tomatoes, salt, and Cherry Chipotle Not Ketchup to the pot. Bring to a simmer, turn the heat down to low, and cover the pot. Cook 1 hour, or up to 4 hours (the longer it cooks, the better the flavors will develop and meld - just keep checking to make sure it's not getting dry, and if it is, add some water). Serve hot, garnished with shredded cheese and green onions.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 1 hour 10 mins Total time: 1 hour 20 mins Yield: 10-12 servings

An afternoon in the Ladies' Home Journal test kitchen

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Ladies' Home Journal food and entertaining director Tara Bench in the LHJ test kitchen

One of the best side benefits of writing a food blog is participating in events like last month's King Arthur Flour Blog & Bake™. Not only did I learn how to make flaky scones, pillowy pizza dough, and pie crust, I met a dozen other bloggers and food editors who share my passion for pulling flavors together into recipes and finding exactly the right words to describe the food I love.

One of my pie crust buddies in Vermont was Tara Bench, a professional chef and recipe developer who currently directs all the food and entertaining content for Ladies' Home Journal magazine. I had a few free hours during a recent business trip to New York, so I asked Tara if I could stop by to say hi. Perfect, she said - I'll be in the test kitchen making chicken. And she wasn't kidding - Tara and assistant food editor Hilary Merzbacher needed to finalize 25 chicken recipes for an upcoming issue.

Ever wondered what goes on in a magazine's professional test kitchen? The refrigerator looked like mine - the door was full of half-used condiments, the main compartment held plastic containers with leftovers and bagged produce. Lots of cabinets, drawers and shelves. Great lighting. Two sinks, two stoves. And a huge center island. Definitely enough room for two cooks to coexist comfortably, maybe even three.

So how do these two chefs come up with 25 chicken recipes? First, they brainstorm, making sure there's a mix on all fronts. Some recipes used whole chicken, others breasts or legs or wings or ground chicken. They needed a mix of ethnicities and a mix of cooking methods (oven vs. stove vs. grill). Then they sat down and wrote out all the recipes. Next, they ordered ingredients for each dish from the neighborhood grocery store. Then they made each dish as written, tasted, and noted what needed to be adjusted. Some of the recipes required enough changes that they decided to re-make them. Finished dishes got plated and photographed to show to the editors, who would then choose which dishes should be photographed for the final spread. Then they'll have to make the hero dishes again, style them, and bring them to the in-house photo studio to be shot for the magazine.

The chicken: delicious in all forms. The company: also delicious. Tara and Hilary even let me use a corner of their kitchen to cook up a batch of my favorite chicken rice fritters for them to taste. Here are a few shots from the afternoon:

Penne with chicken bolognese and ricotta

My chicken rice fritters with lemon-mustard mayo

Oven-baked chicken risotto with sweet potatoes - this recipe needed another  round of testing, as the texture wasn't exactly what Tara wanted

Chicken salad in lettuce cups - nice and light for a summer lunch

Chicken with succotash

Baked chicken with chili sauce - sweet and spicy

Me in the test kitchen

Spaghetti with chicken meatballs and marinara

Tara in her LHJ chef' jacket

Note: I attended the 2013 King Arthur Flour Blog & Bake™ at the King Arthur Flour Baking Education Center as a very grateful guest of King Arthur Flour.

Fruity braised chicken thighs for my mother

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Plump braised chicken thighs - perfect for my mom's next dinner party

My mother (hi Mommy! Love you!) is one of my most devoted readers.

This surprises me only because my blog is about cooking.

My mom cooked our family meals when I was growing up, but she didn't like it much. And it showed.

I grew up on baked chicken breasts (sprinkled with paprika for color), baked fish (sprinkled with paprika for color), frozen vegetable medley, and the occasional baked potato. I don't believe any baked good ever emerged from our ovens.

(Don't worry, she won't be insulted that I'm sharing this. She admits it freely.)

These days, though, my mother is throwing dinner party after dinner party.

Why the sudden change of culinary heart?

We lost my dad more than four years ago. Since then my mother has done an admirable job rebuilding a social life.

Like me, she's decided to be the organizer. The one who issues the invitations instead of waiting for them.

My mom has asked me to help plan the menus for a half-dozen parties. She uses my recipes and then, when her friends ask, she proudly points them to this blog.

My mother loves my blog. But she's had the same complaint suggestion for a few years: "You need more chicken recipes."

So here I am with a chicken recipe. An easy one, too. Perfect for my mom's next dinner party.

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Fruity braised chicken thighs

by Erika Kerekes March-2-2013

Start this chicken dish on the stove to crisp the skin, then move it to the oven to finish cooking. Bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs yield the most flavorful meat.

Ingredients

• 6 large chicken thighs (bone in, skin on)
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup white wine
• 1 Tablespoon Dijon mustard
• 1 clove fresh garlic, minced
• 3/4 cup apricot jam, quince jam, or orange marmalade (your choice)
• freshly ground pepper to taste

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.Heat a large, heavy, ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. (A cast-iron skillet works perfectly for this dish.) Sprinkle the chicken thighs with the salt and place them skin-side down in the skillet. Leave them alone for at least 5 minutes, then lift one up with tongs and peek. You want the skin to be deep golden-brown and crisp around the edges. When it's so, remove the chicken from the skillet and park it on a plate for a moment.While the chicken is browning, whisk together the wine, mustard, garlic, and jam. Add a good amount of freshly ground pepper and whisk again to combine.Turn off the heat. Pour off the rendered fat in the skillet. Put the chicken back in the skillet, skin-side up this time. Pour the wine mixture over the chicken and put the skillet in the preheated oven. Bake the chicken about 40 minutes, until the skin is dark and caramelized and the sauce has thickened. Serve immediately.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 50 mins Total time: 1 hour Yield: 6 servings