New Recipe #3 (Nov) Moroccan Chicken Sann

I have always been a bit of a fan of meat cooked with fruit. Actually, I like cooked fruit in general. Cooked apple, for example, I love. And warm pear. But meat with fruit in particular, I have always enjoyed. If there is a meat with fruit option on a menu, I do tend to go for that. Not, of course, if it is something weird or something really expensive. After all, the average person tends to never go for the most expensive item on the menu - a fact that savvy restuarant owners apparently take advantage of and price their dishes accordingly. Apparently, the item that they want to sell the most of, tends rather to be the second most expensive item. So that even if it is expensive, people feel better about ordering it because they did not go for the most expensive one. How far this is true, I do not know.* I do know of a particular steak place back home, where, if I recall correctly, the signature dish and the one I have every single time I am there, is in fact the most expensive item on the menu. But then again, I see a difference between that an your average restaurant. That particular steak, is the only reason why I and many others go there. 

I digress. Now where was I? Oh yes, meat with fruit! Apple and pork, I believe goes very well. Pork and pineapple. Pork with cranberry. Carnard l'orange. Swedish meatballs with lingon berry sauce. Not long ago, I had a little tapas thingy of bacon wrapped around a prune - delicious! And we had been getting a lot of plums in our little fruit basket at work, so I had been thinking a lot about cooking something with plums or prunes. So one day last week, I invested some time (only a small amount really) and searched for recipes online and found this one on allrecipes. 

It appears that they really are quite a lot of people who do not like fruit with meat. There were lots of comments about how weird it is. Too bad for them, I say. Having read the reviews on the site, this was the recipe I followed in the end, but I reckon I would still make some changes, if I were to make this again. And I do reckon that would make it again. I doubt it will become something I make every week, but then again, there really isn't anything that I make every week. 

Not the tastiest looking, but looks aren't everything!

What you need:

marinade:

2 1/2 tbsp soya sauce

2 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp white wine vinegar  ) should be sherry, which I didn't have,

1 1/2 tbsp white wine        ) so I used a combo of these two instead.

2 1/2 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp ground thyme

1 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp ground ginger

1/4 tsp black pepper

2 cloves garlic

2 fillets chicken breast, cut into pieces

olive oil

4 pitted prunes

3 dried apricots

What to do:

1. Whisk together all ingredients for marinade. Place marinade with chicken into a resealable bag, making sure that chicken is thoroughly covered with marinade and leave to marinate for at least 30 minutes or up to 24 hours.

2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat and cook chicken till pieces are browned on all sides.

3. Add prunes and apricots, and remaining of marinade and bring to simmer. Cover and allow to simmer for 30 minutes.

4. Uncover and simmer until sauce is slightly thickened, or about 15 minutes.

5. Serve over rice.

Most of the reviews advice against the temptation to add too many prunes or apricots. I completely agree with that. I cut the dried fruit into bits only because I wanted them to be better mixed in the sauce and not end up as "pieces" in the dish in themselves (if that explanation makes sense). I don't think it is essential though, and is really a matter of preference. Cutting the fruit up makes the sauce sweeter, I think. The next time I make it, I might throw in an extra prune, but reduce the honey, and increase soya sauce, ginger and spices. I would also cut the chicken into smaller pieces.

Hmm.... writing this makes me want to have it again, and soon!

* I read about this in 'Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions' by Dan Ariely. I am reading that concurrently with numerous other books, so progress is just a little bit slow. That said, the book is really interesting so far, and insightful.