This recipe for chicken with ground almonds and dried apricots along with a spicy curry paste from Lemons and Anchovies is something that I never would have thought of myself. They’re all ingredients that I use on a regular basis, but it’s definitely a unique combination.  I usually don’t touch apricots outside of a snack or a dessert, but I can really see how it would be a wonderful addition to this sauce.  Yet another addition to my must try list — it’s a list that is going to take me a lifetime to get through.

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“…This past Sunday marked the first normal day I’ve had in weeks. I put away the suitcase (if for just a week), cleaned my house, accepted defeat against the doe and her two fawn who have staked a claim on my tomato plants, and I actually cooked a decent meal. I have been meaning to try a recipe from a 2003 issue of Food & Wine. Apricots and almonds in a thick, rich sauce? I couldn’t imagine a more fitting dish to rouse my senses out of the last few weeks’ cooking rut.

Ground almonds and dried apricots along with a spicy curry paste are a winning combination here. The dish has exotic flair, the almonds adding richness to the sauce. I was doubtful that the rehydrated apricots being added during the last few minutes of cooking would actually add substance to the dish but I was happy to be proven wrong. As the sauce simmered, I mashed the apricots into the sauce to for a bit of sweetness and fruitiness to offset the spiciness of the cayenne pepper and the curry. I served this with a simple arugula salad dressed in lemon and olive oil and roasted fingerling potatoes but I couldn’t resist having a taste with rice. It was a winner both ways…”

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