Recipe: Calliope's Figgy Chicken

recipelink.com Chat Room Recipe Swap - 2001-02-18
From: calliope,.NY

CALLIOPE’S FIGGY CHICKEN

6-chicken breast halves with the skin and bone
butter to saute
1-large yellow onion, chopped
garlic to taste
fresh gingeroot to taste
12 or more, dried figs
1-cup orange juice
1/4-cup honey
1/2-tsp. or more good quality curry powder
1/4-tsp cinnamon
salt and pepper to taste

*options...cashews or roasted peanuts, peas, potatoes or cauliflower, red pepper flakes or jalapeno to taste, currants (or raisins) lemon juice if it comes too sweet for you or more honey if not sweet enough. Cilantro (or parsley if you prefer) and/or mint.

Serve this with rice and a salad of seeded and drained cucumbers and paper-thin sliced red onion or scallion marinated for a few hours in plenty of plain yogurt to which you have added toasted, bruised cumin seed, cilantro, mint and plenty of fresh black pepper. You can even put fresh tomato in this.

*Remember that yogurt, not water, is the best way to cut the effects of hot and/or spicy foods! This dish is not hot unless you add the jalapeno or red pepper flakes, just aromatic.

Saute the chicken breasts in the butter till the skin is golden along with the chopped onion garlic and gingerroot. Add the honey, orange juice, figs, curry powder and cinnamon, cover and simmer for 45 minutes to 1 hour or until chicken is done and tender. Add any of the other ingredients you choose to use at the appropriate times so they don’t over cook, adding the fresh herbs at the very end...if they are dry, earlier.