Apricot glazed chicken with moroccan spices

There’s nothing new about making roasted chicken with an apricot glaze for Shabbat.

I know it’s a very popular dish, so I’m hesitant to admit that, while I don’t mind it, I’m not a big fan. It’s a little too one-note for me. Often, the chicken itself has little flavor and the sweet glaze just doesn’t excite me. 

In the 1960s, convenience foods were all the rage. Recipes that called for packaged ingredients meant more free time for mother. Most recipes for apricot chicken are a throwback to that era, calling for apricot jam and either packaged soup mix or bottled salad dressing. This recipe uses neither, and yet it’s no more difficult or time consuming.

This twist on that simple recipe takes the expected to a whole new unexpected level.

A few words about some of the ingredients—

There are some cooks who say that garlic powder has no place in cooking, but I disagree.  I love fresh garlic and I use it liberally, but there are a few places where garlic powder is the better choice—specifically when the recipe would expose chopped or sliced garlic to high heat for an extended period of time. You can’t get good garlic flavor from little pieces of burned garlic. But quality is super important here. If your garlic powder has been sitting in your cupboard for a year (or more), it’s going to taste stale and bitter. Garlic powder has to be fresh and it has to be high quality. There are fancy, expensive brands available, but I really like Costco’s house brand. Unlike many others, this granulated garlic is made from garlic that’s grown in the US, in California.  It never has a bitter taste. If you don’t have a Costco membership, don’t fret—it’s also available here. 

As for apricot preserves, once again quality is super important. Avoid brands that contain corn syrup, artificial ingredients, and preservatives, and especially run from those that are artificially sweetened. I’m partial to Tiptree preserves in all their varieties. They start with superior fruit and that fresh flavor really comes through. But there are certainly other good brands. Look for those that use fruit, pure cane sugar, and pectin. There are also some that use fruit juice as the sweetener, and those are fine, too. 

The spice mix I make here is a classic combination of seasonings that are used in Moroccan cooking. You’ll have more than you need for this recipe, and that’s a good thing. Save the rest in a jar with a tight lid for other uses, such as in my recipe for Moroccan Style Chickpea Stew.  This spice blend would traditionally call for cayenne pepper. I leave it out so that the flavor is more accessible to more people—not everyone can handle spicy food—but I recommend adding some in because a touch of heat really makes the flavors pop!

Rather than cayenne, I usually add some Aleppo pepper. I know, I’m mixing cultures. Aleppo pepper is Syrian, not Moroccan. But it works so well here.

For a long time, I kept coming across recipes that called for Aleppo pepper. It seemed to be all the rage. I was unfamiliar with it, and just substituted whatever I had on hand, usually some red pepper flakes or more black pepper. Finally, my curiosity peaked and I ordered some. All I could say was, “where have you been all my life?” Not quite as hot as cayenne or red pepper flakes, with a deep smoky flavor, I was instantly a fan. I started using it everywhere. If you haven’t tried it, I wholeheartedly recommend adding it to your spice cabinet. This is the Aleppo pepper that I bought. I was so excited with it that I started giving little jars of it away to family and friends, so now I need to buy more!

What kind of chicken should I buy?

You can make this dish using a whole chicken cut into 10 pieces—2 legs, 2 wings, 2 thighs, and each breast half cut in half again. Or if your diners are all fans of the same part, feel free to purchase all thighs or all breasts, etc. You definitely want to keep the skin on for this recipe. Part of what makes it special is the crispy glazed skin.

Need to cheat?

In a terrible time crunch? Pick up a rotisserie chicken, cut it up into serving pieces, and lay it on a sheet pan lined with parchment. Coat the pieces generously with the glaze. Put the chicken into a cold oven and turn it on, set to 350°. When the chicken is hot and the glaze is sticky and shiny, it’s ready to eat. Don’t leave it in for too long or it will become dry.

Apricot glazed chicken with moroccan spices

Ingredients:

• 1 whole roasting chicken, cut into 10 pieces, or skin-on, bone in parts. 

• Good quality extra virgin olive oil, preferably

• Salt, pepper, and garlic powder

• 8 ounces good quality apricot preserves

• 2 tablespoons Moroccan spice blend (recipe follows)

• Optional: Aleppo pepper, cayenne pepper, or red pepper flakes. 

• About 1 cup soft dried apricots

• A few handfuls of assorted fresh herbs—parsley, cilantro, and mint. 

Method:

• Preheat the oven to 350°. 

• I love a good massage, and so does chicken. Massage all the chicken pieces, on both sides, with good quality extra virgin olive oil. Choose one that has a flavor you like. For this dish, I reach for this Moroccan olive oil from Mina. 

• Sprinkle the chicken on all sides with kosher salt, pepper, and garlic powder. If you’re using  kosher chicken be careful with the salt. Kosher chicken is pre-salted so you may need to add little or no salt. Lay the chicken pieces out on a baking sheet covered with parchment. Without the parchment you’re going to have a very sticky mess to clean up.

• Put the pre4serves into a small microwave safe bowl and heat it to melt the preserves. Alternatively, you can do this in a small saucepan on the stove-top.

• Add the spice blend to the preserves and stir to combine. Then, slather the chicken heavily with the spiced apricot preserves.

• Roast the chicken for 45 minutes, then remove the pan from the o en and brush the pieces liberally with the glaze. The more, the better! Then return the pan to the oven for another 15 minutes and check for doneness. The time will be dependent upon the size of the pieces. Chicken is done when a meat thermometer registers 160 degrees internally. You may find that the breasts cook faster than the dark meat. Take them out when they come to temperature to avoid drying them out. 

Serve the chicken as is, with the sides of your choice, or use it in my menu for Parasha Bamidbar. 

Moroccan Spice Blend

• 2 teaspoons nutmeg

• 2 teaspoons coriander

• 2 teaspoons cumin

• 2 teaspoons ginger

• 2 teaspoons turmeric

• 2 teaspoons salt

• 2 teaspoons cinnamon

• 1 ½ teaspoons sugar

• 1 ½ teaspoons paprika

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon cardamom

• 1 teaspoon allspice

Stir all spices together and store in a glass jar with a tightly covered lid.