Spanish Honey-Cumin Roast Chicken with Apricots & Olives

Ingredients

For the marinade:

5 large cloves garlic, peeled
1/3 cup sherry vinegar
1/3 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup honey
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 Tbs. plus 1 tsp. ground cumin
1-1/2 tsp. paprika

For the chicken:

2 bone-in, skin-on chicken breast halves
4 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
1-1/2 tsp. kosher salt
4 oz. dried apricots (about 16)
24 green and black assorted olives, whole or pitted
4 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley or cilantro, for garnish (optional)

Preparation

Make the marinade

Crush the garlic cloves and sprinkle with a little salt. Mince the garlic finely into a paste; you should have 1-1/2 to 2 Tbs. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, orange juice, honey, olive oil, cumin and paprika, and whisk until thoroughly combined.

Marinate the chicken:

Wash and dry the chicken pieces thoroughly. Press down on the chicken breasts with the palm of your hand to flatten slightly (allowing rib cartilage to pop away or break in half). With a sharp knife, poke three or four slits in both sides of each piece of chicken to help the marinade penetrate. Put the chicken in a large nonreactive bowl and toss with the kosher salt. Add the garlic paste to the bowl and toss to coat the chicken. Add the marinade to the bowl and toss to coat, using your hands to distribute evenly. Add the apricots and olives and toss to combine. Wrap the bowl well with plastic and refrigerate for at least 6 hours and up to 24 hours.

Roast the chicken:

Take the chicken out of the refrigerator and pour the chicken and marinade (scraping the bowl) into one 10x15-inch or two 7x11-inch Pyrex baking dishes. Adjust the chicken so it’s skin side up and the pieces are evenly spaced. Tuck the apricots and olives under and around the chicken pieces. Sprinkle each piece of chicken with a pinch of salt. Let the chicken sit for at least 20 minutes or up to an hour to warm up a bit so it will cook more evenly. Meanwhile, heat the oven to 400°F.

Put the chicken in the oven to roast. As it cooks, the marinade will bubble and begin to reduce. After 30 minutes, baste occasionally with the pan juices to help brown the skin and keep the chicken moist. The chicken is done when it turns deep brown and the pan juices have reduced (the sides of the pan will be very dark brown and look almost burned, and a paring knife will slide easily into a thigh), about 1 hour. The pan juices may separate, meaning the fat will be floating on top of the juices, which will be very thick.

Make the pan sauce:

Tip: Make the pan sauce while the pan is still hot; if you get delayed, use hot water to make the sauce, or put the pan back in the oven briefly to warm it.

Transfer the chicken pieces to a cutting board and tent with foil. Transfer the apricots and olives to a small bowl and reserve. Hold one end of the pan with a potholder and gently tilt the pan to let the juices run into one corner. With a large, shallow spoon, spoon off as much fat as possible but leave any savory juices and pan drippings behind (they may look clumpy). Add 2 Tbs. water to the pan (or 1 Tbs. to each of the two pans) and use a wooden spoon to scrape off enough of the baked-on pan drippings from the sides and bottom of the pan to form a slightly thickened, deeply colored, rich-looking sauce (you won’t need to scrape the whole pan). Taste the sauce—if it’s too intense, add a little more water; if it isn’t flavorful enough, keep scraping and stirring.

Cut each chicken breast in half by centering a large chef’s knife over it and then pushing down and slicing at the same time (the knife will cut right through the cartilage). Serve a thigh and half of a breast per portion, with a few spoonfuls of sauce and the reserved apricots and olives. Garnish with a sprig of flat-leaf parsley or cilantro if you like. Serves 4.

If you don’t like spicy heat, use sweet pimentón instead.

Green Beans with Smoked Paprika and Almonds

Ingredients

Kosher salt
3/4 lb. green beans, preferably Spanish Musica, trimmed and cut on the diagonal into 2-inch lengths (3 cups)
1/2 cup thinly sliced shallots (about 2 medium)
1 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
1-1/2 tsp. granulated sugar
1/3 cup coarsely chopped Marcona almonds
1/4 tsp. hot Spanish smoked paprika (pimentón de la Vera)

Preparation

Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil. Cook the beans in the water until just tender, 4 to 5 minutes. Drain and run under cold water to cool. Drain well.

Put the shallots and olive oil in a cold 12-inch skillet and set the pan over medium-high heat. Cook until the shallots begin to turn golden, stirring to break them into rings, about 2 minutes. Sprinkle the sugar over the shallots and stir constantly until they are golden all over, about 45 seconds. Add the almonds, stir well, and immediately add the beans and smoked paprika. Cook, stirring, until heated through, 2 to 3 minutes. Season to taste with salt and serve. Serves 4.

These roasted potatoes couldn’t be easier. Spread the potato chunks on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet, drizzle on some olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and roll them around the pan until they’re well coated. Even without any stirring during cooking, they brown on the side that touches the pan and get a nice exterior crunch, while remaining soft and tender at heart.

Simple Roasted Potatoes

Ingredients

2 lb. small red-skinned potatoes or small Yukon Gold potatoes, washed and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
3 Tbs. extra-virgin olive oil
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

Position a rack in the center of the oven and heat the oven to 450ºF. Spread the potatoes on a heavy-duty rimmed baking sheet. Drizzle with the olive oil, sprinkle with 1 tsp. kosher salt and several grinds of pepper, and roll them around to evenly coat them with the oil. Spread the potatoes in a single layer, preferably with a cut side down. Roast them until they’re tender when pierced with a fork, 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the potatoes. The potatoes should be browned on the sides touching the pan.

Loosen the potatoes from the pan with a thin spatula and transfer them to a large serving bowl to be tossed with the salad ingredients and dressing. They can be tossed while still warm or at room temperature. Serves 6.

Have A Terrific Week,

Phil