Cherry Chili Chicken

Amarante

Mon, Aug 24 2015, 1:12 pm

Very easy - sweet but with a bit of zip. Kid friendly. This is a bit of a retro type of recipe that reminds me of my aunt's party chicken recipes.

Source: Judy Bart Kancigor. “Cooking Jewish.” Workman Publishing Company, 2007.

Cherry Chili chicken

3/4 cup raisins
1 can (16½ ounces) pitted black cherries, undrained
2 large onions, thinly sliced
2 chickens (3 to 4 pounds), each cut into 8 pieces, rinsed and patted dry
Garlic powder to taste
Paprika to taste
Kosher (coarse) salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 to 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup dry sherry or white wine
2 bottles (12 ounces each) chili sauce, such as Heinz
⅓ cup (packed) dark brown sugar

1. Put the raisins in a small bowl and pour the juice from the canned cherries over them. Set aside.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Scatter the onion slices over the bottom of a large baking pan or roasting pan. Set the pan aside.

3. Season the chicken with garlic powder, paprika, and salt and pepper.
4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until it is quite hot but not smoking. Add the chicken, in batches, and cook until browned on both sides, 3 to 4 minutes per side, adding the remaining oil 1 tablespoon at a time, if needed. As the chicken pieces brown, arrange them, skin side up, on top of the onions in the baking pan.

5. Remove the skillet from the heat and discard all the oil. Add ½ cup of the sherry to the skillet and scrape up all the brown bits. Stir in the chili sauce, brown sugar, ¼ cup water, and the plumped raisins with the cherry juice. Bring the mixture to a boil, and then pour it over the chicken. Roast, uncovered, basting occasionally, for 25 minutes.

6. Pour the remaining ½ cup sherry around the chicken, distribute the cherries throughout the pan, and baste. Roast, basting occasionally, until cooked through, 20 to 30 minutes.

7. Transfer the chicken to a warm serving platter and cover to keep warm. Strain the liquid into a medium-size saucepan, reserving the solids. Bring the strained sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and boil until reduced by about one third, or until thick, 8 to 10 minutes (longer if you like a thicker sauce).

8. Spoon the onions, cherries, and raisins over the chicken, and pass the sauce.”