Braised Chicken With Prunes Recipes

MOROCCAN BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• In a large (5-quart) heavy pot, heat 2 tablespoons oil over medium-high. Season chicken generously on all sides with salt and pepper. Place 3 chicken legs in pot; cook, turning once, until browned, about 10 minutes total. Transfer to a plate. Repeat with remaining chicken and oil.
• Add onion and 1/4 cup water to pot; cook, stirring to loosen browned bits on bottom. Add turmeric, ginger, and cinnamon; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion has softened, about 5 minutes. Return chicken to pot. Add 2 cups water and half the prunes; bring to a boil. Reduce heat; partially cover, and simmer until chicken is cooked through and very tender, about 45 minutes.
• Transfer chicken to a platter; cover tightly with aluminum foil to keep warm. Add remaining prunes to pot; raise heat to high. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally, until sauce has thickened, about 10 minutes more. If not serving immediately, top chicken with sauce, cover and refrigerate up to 1 day in an airtight container. Otherwise, divide chicken among serving plates, and top with sauce.

CHICKEN WITH PRUNES AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Combine the oil, vinegar, prunes, capers, oregano, olives, garlic, bay leaves, 1/4 teaspoon salt and a few grinds of pepper in a large shallow baking dish. Add the chicken and turn to coat. Cover with plastic wrap and marinate at least 1 hour or overnight.
• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Using a slotted spoon, remove the chicken from the marinade to a plate. Pour the marinade into a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. Arrange the chicken on top, skin-side up. Sprinkle the brown sugar over the chicken breasts and pour the white wine around them.
• Bake, basting three or four times with the pan juices, until the chicken is crispy on top and cooked through, 1 hour to 1 hour 20 minutes.
• Transfer the chicken, prunes, olives and capers to a serving platter. Moisten with a few spoonfuls of the pan juices and sprinkle generously with the parsley. Pour the remaining pan juices into a sauceboat and pass with the chicken.

30-MINUTE BRAISED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Place a heavy pan over a high heat and drop in the onion with the oil. Stir well and cook for 2 mins, then add garlic.
• Add the chicken and cook for a few mins, turning each piece until they all have a little colour. Add the chopped apples and the prunes, stir well, pour in the wine and bring to the boil.
• Simmer covered for 20 mins until the chicken is tender. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with some mashed potato.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH PRUNE SAUCE

Steps:

• Pat chicken thouroughly dry with paper towel and sprinkle sides with salt and pepper In a 10 to 12-inch skillet melt two tablespoons of butter and two tablespoons of oil over high heat.
• Add chicken skin-side down and reduce heat to moderate.
• Fry until sides are golden brown.
• (Don't worry if the inside is pink, we will be cooking the chicken more later) Transfer the chicken to a plate.
• Add the celery, carrot, and onion to the fat remaining in pan, stirring occasionally, and cook until the vegetables are soft but NOT brown.
• Return the chicken to the pan and lay the parsley and bay leaf on top.
• Pour in 1/2 cup of chicken broth.
• Bring to a boil over high heat.
• Lower the heat and simmer for thirty minutes, basting it from time to time with the juices in the pan Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine 1 1/2 cups of water, the 1 1/2 cups of prunes, the lemon juice, and the sugar.
• Place on high heat.
• Bring prunes to a boil and simmer for 30 minutes or until prunes are tender.
• Preheat the oven to 250 degrees F.
• Remove the chicken from the skillet and arrange attractively on an ovenproof platter.
• Scatter the cooked prunes over the top.
• Cover the platter loosely with foil and put it into the oven.
• Press hard on the vegetables with a spoonback releasing the juices.
• Discard vegetables.
• Set juices aside.
• Melt two tablespoons of butter in the skillet and add the flour.
• Cook on high heat until flour is golden brown.
• Pour in the 1/2 cup of reserved prune juice and the 1/2 cup of reserved pan juices (if there is less then 1/2 cup, make up for it by augmenting it with the chicken broth) Boil until sauce is smooth and thickened.
• Serve at once.

BRAISED CHICKEN WITH LEMON AND OLIVES

Steps:

• Pat chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Season well with salt and pepper and place in an earthenware baking dish in one layer, skin side up. Sprinkle with red pepper, garlic, fennel and rosemary and drizzle with olive oil. Rub seasoning into thighs on all sides. Tuck lemon wedges here and there. Let marinate for 15 minutes. Heat oven to 375 degrees.
• Put baking dish in oven, uncovered, and roast until skin browns lightly, about 20 minutes. Scatter olives evenly over chicken and add broth. Cover tightly and bake for 1 hour, until meat is very tender when probed with a skewer.
• Remove thighs and lemon wedges and arrange on a platter. Keep warm. Pour pan juices into a saucepan and quickly skim fat from surface. Over high heat, simmer rapidly until reduced by half. Spoon juices over chicken, sprinkle with parsley and serve.