Recipe - Rustic Herbed Apricot Chicken

2 Chickens, cut into 8 pieces
each, wing tips trimmed
One fourth cup Extravirgin olive oil
2 tablespoon Extravirgin olive oil
4 Garlic cloves, coarsely
chopped
2 tablespoon Balsamic vinegar
2 tablespoon Dried thyme
2 tablespoon Dried tarragon
One half teaspoon Coarsely ground black pepper
1 lg Onion, halved and thinly
cut or sliced up
2 tablespoon Allpurpose flour
2 cup Defatted chicken broth
1 cup Medium tawny port
1 tablespoon Red currant jelly
2 cup Dried apricots
Salt to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
to taste
Cooked noodles (opt)
1 tablespoon Chopped flatleaf parsley,
for garnish

Marinating the chicken in olive oil, balsamic vinegar, dried thyme and
tarragon add great depth to a rice sauce that's smoothed by just a
hint of red currant jelly and enhanced with apricots and tawny port.
Be sure to use tawny port. With its beautiful amber color and
slightly dry flavor, it compliments the apricots. Save your ruby
port, which is sweeter and has a deep red wine color, for after
dinner.

1. Rinse chicken pieces and pat dry.

2. In a large bowl, combine One fourth cup olive oil, chopped garlic,
vinegar, thyme, tarragon and One half teaspoon pepper. Add the chicken,
toss together well and marinate at room temperature for 23 hours or
refrigerate overnight.

3. Remove chicken from marinade, scraping off any bits that might
remain. Reserve marinade. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in a
large, heavy casserole. Brown chicken in small batches over medium
heat until golden, turning once or twice. Set finished pieces aside.

4. Add onion slices to casserole, reduce heat and cook, stirring, for
2 minutes or until they begin to brown. Toss onion slices with flour
and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 2 minutes longer.

5. Add broth, port wine and red currant jelly. Cook, stirring, for
another 2 minutes. Stir in the apricots, reserved marinade and
chicken.

6. Cook over low heat, partially covered, for 20 minutes. Remove
cover and cook for 2030 minutes more or until chicken is cooked
through. Season with salt and pepper to taste. If desired, serve with
cooked noodles and garnish with chopped parsley.

Per serving (without noodles): 555 calories, 25 grams fat, 124
milligrams cholesterol.

From Tuscon area newspapers, 1994, 3rd quarter, courtest Mike Orchekowski.
File ftp://ftp.idiscover.co.uk/pub/food/mealmaster/recipes/tn94q3.zip