What a time to go down… and no, I am not talking about trying to get your girlfriends knickers off in the middle of the local shopping centre… during Christmas extra trading. No. What I am referring to in the unwelcome timing of my backs ability to function properly going AWOL, and thus rendering me useless at my job, but really good at sitting down and telling those damn kids to get off my lawn. I seriously sat on a stool for half the day today… which would be fine if I was a bar fly with a wispy white mustache stained brown from the tonne of cigarettes I smoke every day, but (as you may or may not know) I am a chef. Stuffed backs and stools are not conducive to a busy pre Christmas service. Any how, I suffered through like the beast I am. “I am beast”, they heard me roar for miles around.
So I’ll bet three single groats you are thinking that this story holds relevance to the decision of what I would be cooking for dinner today. But alas, you are wrong again (sorry to hear he wasn’t your kid PS). I had decided what tonight’s meal would be many moons previous in fact, when I spied a pile of apricots sitting quietly in our fruit bowl, praying for someone to take them home and love them like they were their own. But these apricots were waiting in vain, as nobody wanted them, they were like the red headed child at the orphanage, destined to grow old in that metaphorical institution that is the fruit bowl…until I came along. “Apricot chicken”, they beckoned to me. “Remember when your mum used to cook that. You loved it”. They were right, but that lead me to wonder how did they know? And what the hell were they doing talking to me? These ponderings aside, I thought it would be a fitting home for these little red heads to be set free uponst a pot of apricot chicken.
I’ve spoken to a lot of people regarding the cooking of apricot chicken over the last few days. Old, wise looking men and women, with glasses and tweed jackets with patches on the elbows. Very wise looking indeed. A wise old druid suggested mushrooms, apricot nectar had to be in there, and many small hobbit like creatures suggested French onion soup mix was essential. And it should be served with pasta one man said, mashed potato said another, or rice, as my mother would have done (she didn’t cook rice very well so it was always half crunchy and raw, a little bit burnt tasting and half over cooked and gluggy. But back then I thought that was how rice was meant to taste so I didn’t mind one bit. I do prefer it cooked rice and fluffy these days though). I mulled over the musings of these strange peoples and in the end listened to no-one (except the one about the apricot nectar) and have come up with my version of the eighties classic… if for no other reason then a little nostalgia fix…
It’s been almost 20 years, but tonight I eat apricot chicken once again! And I’m going to have coleslaw with it just because that’s the way I roll… and I don’t have any rice in the house… should’ve thought that one through a bit more but like I said; that’s how I roll!
APRICOT CHICKEN (for four)
4 chicken marylands, separated into drumsticks and thighs
2 brown onions, sliced
1 carrot, diced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
10 apricots, halved and deseeded
1x 400ml tin of apricot nectar
1 tablespoon coriander seed, ground
1 teaspoon white pepper, ground
5 sprigs thyme
salt
olive oil
the ability to channel your mother
- Add a splash of oil to a pot of some description. Whack it on a low heat and sauté the onions, carrot, garlic and seasonings until it is all soft and starting to colour just a touch
- In a separate pan, brown the chicken in a good splash of oil. Set aside for a minute or two
- Add the apricots and nectar to the sautéed veg and place the chicken on top
- Cook out over a medium heat on in a moderate oven for 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked and sauce is reduced slightly
- Check seasoning
- Serve with whatever your mum would’ve served it with… or if you don’t have that do what I’d do in this situation and serve it with coleslaw
- Smiley face
foodisthebestshitever 
23 responses to “What a time to go down… and a recipe for apricot chicken”
sorry to hear you are not well! I lived in a share house in Federal a long time ago and was laughed at profusely for making Apricot Chicken from a premix jar (Maggies?) and never got over it and never ate it again until now, good man, you have made my day and given me permission to enjoy a simple retro feed. yum, ta X
I’ll get better I’m sure. Beer and Valium work wonders on a wounded body!!! Cheers
Delectable first photo.
why thank you
It looks tempting enough to make me want to try your version of apricot chicken. I’d go down with fluffy rice on this one!
Fluffy rice would be the way to go! Cheers!
Definitely my daughter’s favourite meal – always with mushrooms and thick wonderful nectar and always served with rice – that’s how my mum used to make it for me and that’s how I make it for my daughter – love your recipe – looks great! 🙂
Cheers! I’d eat it again… still not sure about the mushrooms. But maybe I should just bite the bullet and give it a go
In all honesty, the mushrooms are for me – my daughter picks them out and I leave out the carrot – great food!
I feel I can trust you… I’ll give it a bash!
Yum yum.
I used plums instead of apricots and it’s great. Our tree is heaving with them and the dog is drunk from the fermented fruit.
Plums? Outrageous. Another one for me to try. I was sure fruity chicken died in the early nineties. How wrong I was!
I wanted to comment on some of your recent posts (still giggling) You removed the comments on them so I am here to say I truly enjoyed the commentary and the recipes!!
Much Sunshine and happy holidays!
Someone else said that but I don’t know how the hell I’ve removed the comments… any clues??
I would think that the post page may have a comment option? Otherwise I have no clue! Hope all is going well with you!
All peachy here my friend… except for the bloody comments thing. Got it up but can’t work out how I turned it off…
Glad you figured it out! The world needs a way to compliment you properly! Lol
Too kind. Smiley face
Echoing the other Laura, I wanted to comment on your posts too but they’re closed! So, I will comment on everything right here: drool worthy schnitzel, AMAZING snapper, so jealous of your garden, those wilted greens… the garlic, amazing!!! Ah, can I just move next door to you and we can share the cooking duties? Love the look of this chicken too. It’s been ages since I made apricot chicken, but I love it. Brings me back to schooltime dinners at mum’s house (of course, yours looks way more cheffy, chef Grazza!). Merry Christmas to you, Jennee and the bunch!
Thanks heaps Laura. Are the comments still closed? I don’t get this shit… Happy merry Christmas to you peeps! PS move in next door fer sure. It would be a frickin hoot!!
Any ideas on the comments being closed?? I have absolutely no idea where it came from…
Wow! Chicken with apricots. Something that I never have tried but still intrigues me so much, I might just try it out 🙂
Old school oz house wives recipe. The shit works though! Smiley face