1.
BRAISED CHICKEN WITH CILANTRO, LEMON AND DRIED
FIGS Note:Remove the skin and
fat from a whole cut-up chicken to make this dish. Ingredients:
2
tablespoons all purpose flour
1 3 1/2- to 3 3/4-pound chicken, skin and fat
removed, cut into 12 pieces
4 teaspoons olive oil
2 cups chopped onions
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 14 1/2-ounce can low-salt chicken broth
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons fresh
lemon juice
8 dried Calimyrna figs, stems trimmed, cut in half lengthwise
Lemon wedges Method:
Place
flour in large resealable plastic bag. Season flour with salt and pepper. Add
chicken to bag; seal bag. Shake bag to coat chicken lightly with flour. Heat
2 teaspoons oil in large nonstick pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches,
add chicken and sauté until brown on all sides, about 7 minutes per batch.
Transfer chicken to plate. Add remaining
2 teaspoons oil to pot and reduce
heat to medium. Add onions and garlic and sauté until golden and tender,
about 10 minutes. Stir in broth, 1/2 cup cilantro and lemon juice and bring to
boil. Add figs and chicken with any accumulated juices to pot. Cover and simmer
until chicken is tender, about 35 minutes. Using
slotted spoon, transfer chicken to bowl and cover with foil to keep warm. Boil
juices in pot until thickened to sauce consistency, about 5 minutes. Season to
taste with salt and pepper. Pour sauce over chicken. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablespoons
cilantro over and serve with lemon wedges. Serves
4.
2. PEAR AND ALMOND FRANGIPANE
WITH APRICOT SAUCE
Ingredients:
4
1/2 cups water
4 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1/4
teaspoon vanilla extract
8 Anjou pears, peeled, halved, cored
1 18-ounce
jar apricot preserves
1/4 cup dark rum
2 cups almonds, toasted
6 large
eggs
1/8 teaspoon almond extract Method:
Combine
water, 2 1/2 cups sugar, lemon juice and vanilla in large pot. Stir over medium-high
heat until sugar dissolves. Add pears. Bring liquid to boil. Reduce heat to medium;
simmer until pears are just tender, turning occasionally, about 10 minutes. Cool
pears in poaching liquid. Stir preserves
in small saucepan until melted. Add rum. Preheat
oven to 350°F. Butter 10- to 11-inch-diameter quiche dish with about 1 1/2-inch-high
sides. Grind nuts in processor. Add 1 3/4 cups sugar, eggs and almond extract.
Process until well blended. Pour into dish. Drain pears; arrange atop batter,
cut side down and stem end toward center. Bake until tester inserted into cake
comes out clean, about 1 hour. Cool on rack. Rewarm apricot sauce over medium-low
heat. Serve cake with sauce. Serves
8.
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