Receta Guest Post: Baked Chicken with Apricot Glaze, Sage and Lemon Zest
One thing 2012 seemed to be was the year everyone we knew read the Fifty Shades trilogy. Amy and her BFF Karen read it at the same time and chatted about it on the phone, in texts, and finally, over their 40th birthday girls' weekend in Vermont, even going so far as to add a vanilla ice cream cone charm on their bestie charm bracelet! In honor of 2012, we've asked Karen to do a guest post inspired by the books. Thanks, Karen! And to everyone, Happy New Year and thanks for reading!
Karen writes:
After spending my summer reading the popular Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy I laughed hysterically when I received for Christmas Fifty Shades of Chicken: A Parody in a Cookbook. I have to say it has been the perfect gift for a foodie/Christian Grey groupie! It is told through the eyes of Miss Hen who is being “cooked” by her chef Blades. The recipes, and stories which accompany them, mirror the steamy books from the first meeting (to the first of many other things) all the way to the happy ending presented in dishes such as “Plain Vanilla Chicken” and “Popped-Cherry Pullet” to “Roast Me All Night Long Chicken” and “Chicken with Hearts and Flowers.” No cookbook would be complete without side dishes and this one wouldn’t be complete without “Taters, Baby”!! So, I now find myself on a quest to cook all 50 chicken recipes (and maybe even some sides)!
I have chosen to begin with “Baked chicken with apricot glaze, sage and lemon zest.” As Miss Hen says in describing the dish, “I’m in warm pieces all over the plate. My own juices mingle with the sticky sweet jam he’s spread all over me. My skin feels melting and soft. He ignores the fine silver flatware and picks up a thigh with both hands. Wow.” You can see why I chose to start there!
Here is the recipe (serving for 2) with a few minor changes made by me….
Mix 3 tblsp extra-virgin olive oil with 1 ¼ tsp sea salt and ¾ tsp pepper
Place 4 chicken thighs in a plastic storage bag and pour in the oil mixture
Massage the thighs with the mixture then place sprigs of sage on the chicken
Tighten the bag and place it in the refrigerator “until the chicken is begging you for it, about 6 hours or overnight”
Preheat the oven to 400
In a bowl, grate the zest from one lemon, squeeze the juice and add 1/3 of a cup of apricot spread, 1tsp Worcestershire sauce and 1 large clove of garlic minced
Remove the sage from the chicken and spread the sticky jam all over the chicken
Lay the thighs in a 9x13 baking dish “leaving plenty of breathing room between each succulent morsel”
Bake 45-55 minutes “until the skin is alluringly golden and the juices run clear when pricked”
Enjoy a sweet and juicy dish!
Serve with:
Sage and Marcona Almonds with Rosemary Pesto Pasta
(not in cookbook – just something special for my Bestie!!!)
Pulse in food processor:
- 10 sage leaves
- 2 cloves of garlic
- ½ lemon zest
- 1tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 cup Marcona Almonds with Rosemary
- 2 tblsp Pecan Oil then add Extra Virgin Olive Oil until desired consistency
- Toss with pasta