Tales of a Recovering Pescaterian [Braised Chicken with Apricots & Cherries]

In terms or health and wellness, this year has symbolized both loss (buh-bye bagels) and change (hello bacon). After (finally) being diagnosed with Celiac Disease this past April, I set out to turn some seemingly bad (yet partially relieving) news into a challenge: how could I push myself to be a more creative, open-minded, confident cook?

Since moving to my own place after college, I've enjoyed cooking for myself and others. So I took this new diagnosis in stride as I made a resolution to cut out all gluten from my diet (as best I can, at least—it finds its way into EVERYTHING) in order to not only feel better physically, but also to challenge myself to venture beyond my comfort zone and create new dishes that I may have not prepared in the past. Sometimes this meant using new ingredients. Other times it meant preparing an old favorite in a new way.

And perhaps my biggest feat of all, accepting that I needed to return to eating meat in order to get the nutrition I needed. (Of course, as luck would have it, I'm also allergic to quinoa, many vegetarians' bff!) Once I cut out gluten, I found my limited perscaterian diet unfulfilling both in terms of options and nutritional value.

Slow and steady was key in terms of re-familiarizing myself with red meat, poultry and pork. And I'm still discovering what I enjoy and dislike. To be honest, chicken is not my preference. But it's easy to prepare, a general crowd-pleaser and a healthy option. Recently, I knew I'd be hosting a small Hanukkah dinner, and needed a main dish to serve alongside the potato pancakes and sautéd greens. After months of stalling, I realized it was time to prepare a simple chicken dish (until then, I had only purchased already-cooked chicken. Something about uncooked meat is just so off-putting!) And with the year coming to close, I thought it was time for one last "challenge," if you will—the opportunity to cook something I never would have considered at the beginning of 2016. So as we bid adieu to 2016, I leave you with one of my final recipes of the year, and my first original chicken recipe, ever.

More so than ever, this year has taught me to accept change, keep an open mind, and to truly appreciate every meal you're able to share with family and friends. As per this recipe, the braising technique keeps the meat tender and addition of fruit makes it an interesting, flavorful dish. Whatever you chose to prepare for your next meal, and as we transition from one year to the next, may you always keep good company.

you'll need...

1 large shallot thinly sliced

1 cup of dried apricots, halved

1/2 cup of frozen cherries, thawed

2 tablespoons of olive oil

1/4 teaspoon of nutmeg

3 cups of stock (vegetable or chicken)

1 tablespoon of balsamic

4 chicken legs and 4 thighs OR 4 chicken breasts, preferably organic and/or humanly raised

1 tablespoon of flour (regular or all-purpose gluten free)

Salt & pepper

to make...

Let chicken come to room temperature. Preheat oven to 300 degrees Fahrenheit. Pat dry with a paper towel, and season generously with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large cast iron skillet or Dutch oven. Working in batches, if needed, sear chicken on both sides, two to three minutes per side, until it begins to golden.

Remove chicken from pot and add in shallot. Sauté until softened. Add in apricots and cherries, and stir to combine with shallot. Add chicken back in and cover with stock. Add the balsamic, cover with a tight fighting lid and place in the oven. Cook until the chicken is thoroughly cooked through to 160 degrees, about 30 mins, though time may vary based on cooking vessel and cuts of chicken. (White meat will require less time—use the braising liquid to keep the chicken moist while cooking. Halfway through, spoon the stock over the chicken and resume cooking until done.)

Once the chicken is cooked, remove from pot and arrange on a platter, covering the meat with the now softened fruit. Use the leftover liquid to make a quick roux—just whisk 1 tablespoon of flour into the pan to thicken and serve alongside the chicken. Serves 4 as an entrée.

*Note: as I learned over the summer in a wonderfully informative food styling class, there is nothing attractive about "brown food." This includes lentils, eggplant and of course chicken. Sorry for the lack of photography on this one—wanted to keep everyone hungry and happy with only the most aesthetic photo I could muster up.

#chicken #braising #fruit #driedfruit #apricots #cherries #maindish