Chicken with Apricots and Almonds (Mahmudiye)
A slow-cooked fruit and meat stew common within traditional Ottoman cuisine. This rich stew tastes complicated and multidimensional, yet it requires very little work to make.
Servings: 4 -6 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons (30 g) unsalted butter
- 12 small shallots peeled but left whole
- 10 (85 g) dried apricots*
- 3 tablespoons (30 g) currants
- 1 cinnamon stick
- pinch ground cloves
- pinch saffron strands**
- 1 teaspoon (7 g) honey
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice from about ½ a small lemon
- 1 cup (250 ml) chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 12 grinds black peppermill
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2.2 pounds (1 kg) chicken thighs or 1.7 pounds (750 g) boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 6 large)
- ½ cup (50 g) sliced almonds, toasted
To serve:
- Turkish rice***, couscous, cauliflower rice, or mixed greens
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, melt the butter, add the whole shallots, and fry gently until they become golden (about 10 minutes).
- Meanwhile, slice the dried apricots into thirds. Add to a medium bowl together with the currants, cinnamon stick, cloves, saffron, honey, lemon juice, chicken stock, salt, and pepper.
- Once the shallots are golden, add the olive oil to the pan, then the chicken thighs. Lightly brown the chicken on both sides. Dump in the bowl full of dried fruit, spices, and liquid. Bring up to a boil, then turn the heat down to reach a gentle simmer. Cover the pan and continue cooking, stirring only a few times, for another 25 minutes.
- While the chicken cooks, make the rice*** or whatever you plan to serve with it.
- Optional sauce reduction: remove the chicken and set aside. Continue simmering the sauce 5-10 minutes until it thickens and reduces by half.
- Serve the chicken immediately, scattered with the toasted flaked almonds and your choice of side.
Notes
*I used Turkish apricots, which are slightly sweeter than California apricots. Another great choice would be tart dried cherries.
**Saffron too dear? Don't have it in your pantry? Never fear, even if you omit it, this stew will still taste great.
***To make Turkish rice, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of butter in a saucepan fitted with a lid. Add ⅓ cup (60 g) of orzo pasta and lightly brown it. Rinse 1 cup (200 g) of medium or long-grain rice, add it to the saucepan together with 500 ml of water. Bring the contents up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, add ½ teaspoon of salt, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, but leave the pan covered another 5 minutes. Serve.
**Saffron too dear? Don't have it in your pantry? Never fear, even if you omit it, this stew will still taste great.
***To make Turkish rice, heat 1 ½ tablespoons of butter in a saucepan fitted with a lid. Add ⅓ cup (60 g) of orzo pasta and lightly brown it. Rinse 1 cup (200 g) of medium or long-grain rice, add it to the saucepan together with 500 ml of water. Bring the contents up to a boil, then turn the heat down to a simmer, add ½ teaspoon of salt, cover the pan and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, but leave the pan covered another 5 minutes. Serve.