New Year flavours: Transform leftovers into gourmet chicken
Have you already gone through your cupboards after the holidays? There are often leftover supplies of dried fruits and nuts. We buy them for fruitcakes, compotes, and other dishes, and it's easy to overestimate how much we need. Although they can be stored for a long time, it's better to use them up promptly, for instance, by preparing chicken with dried fruits and nuts.
Dried fruits and nuts can be used in many ways. You can add them to porridge or yogurt or bake a cake. Using them in a meat dish is a slightly less obvious idea. However, dried plums or apricots complement chicken wonderfully. Baked with them, drumsticks are even suitable for a festive dinner.
Ensure they don't spoil
If you bought too many dried fruits and nuts before the holidays, use them promptly and ensure proper storage. They will stay fresh longer if stored in a dry and cool place. Avoid plastic containers and metal cans, which can encourage mould. Instead, use cloth or paper bags, allowing the products to "breathe" and maintain high quality for longer. If you haven't finished using nuts or dried fruits, it's better not to leave them in a plastic bag; transfer them elsewhere and try to use them quickly.
New year, new flavours
Combining meat with fruits, both fresh and dried, isn't very popular. However, we are slowly opening up to such dishes. Do you bake pork loin with plums for the holidays? Do you like duck with apples or oranges? You should also enjoy chicken with dried fruits. You will need plums and apricots, but you can also add a smaller amount of dried apples or pears. Their flavour can be complemented by nuts — walnuts and hazelnuts pair particularly well.
Roasted chicken with dried fruits and nuts
Ingredients:
- 6 chicken drumsticks,
- 2 cloves of garlic,
- salt, pepper, paprika to taste,
- a sprig of fresh rosemary,
- 60 grams of dried plums,
- 60 grams of dried apricots,
- a handful of nuts,
- 1 tablespoon lemon juice,
- 150 millilitres of white wine or broth,
- 2 tablespoons oil.
Instructions:
- Rinse and dry the chicken drumsticks. Rub them with the spices. Drizzle them with oil and lemon juice. Leave them in a cool place for about an hour.
- Next, arrange the chicken drumsticks in an ovenproof dish. Place the fruits and nuts alongside them and pour wine or broth over everything.
- Bake the chicken for about 40 minutes at 180 degrees Celsius, covered. Then remove the lid, baste with the sauce formed, add rosemary, and bake for another 15 minutes.
- Rice pairs perfectly with this chicken dish.
