Chicken with Apricots and Tomatoes

Every year I am on the lookout for a festive chicken dish to serve at my seder.  It must have the following qualities: can be made in advance and reheated, contain only boneless white meat chicken and have no strange ingredients. There are too many people with too many dislikes to allow for experimentation at this meal.  I came up with a winner last year and will make it again this Passover. It has a sweet, spicy Moroccan flavor that appeals to my crowd.  The recipe is adapted from Back To Square One by Joyce Goldstein, a wonderful cookbook author.  

3 tbl. plus 2 tbl. olive oil

4 cups chopped onions

1 tbl. plus 1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. ground cloves

3 cups diced Italian plum tomatoes, juices reserved

3 cups dried apricots, soaked in warm water to cover, for about 1 hour

2 cups chicken stock, water or combination apricot soaking liquid, reserved tomato juices and water to equal 2 cups*

salt and freshly ground pepper

3 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken cutlets

For the apricot sauce, heat 3 tbl. oil in a large saucepan over low heat.  Add the onions and cook 3 minutes.  Add the 1 tbl. of cinnamon and all of the clove and cook 3 more minutes.  Stir in about 1/4 cup reserved tomato juices.  Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to simmer. 

Puree half the soaked apricots in a food processor and coarsely chop the remainder.  Add the pureed apricots, the diced tomatoes and 1 cup chicken stock* to the onion mixture and simmer 5 minutes.  Puree half the onion mixture in the food processor and then return to the pan.  Add the chopped apricots and the remaining cup of chicken stock* and simmer 5 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and pepper and set aside.

Saute the chicken in the remaining 2 tbl. oil in a large fry pan (in two batches) until lightly browned  and remove from the pan.  Select a pan large enough to hold the chicken and the apricot sauce and put both in the pan. Simmer until cooked through, about 8 minutes.

Serves 6

Notes: The dish makes lots of delicious sauce that is perfect with rice or bulgar wheat 

Last year I made it several hours in advance and gently reheated at serving time

I may cut up the chicken in  big chunks before cooking it so it will be easier to serve to a large crowd

If doubling the amount of chicken, just increase the apricot sauce ingredients by 1/3. I now know from experience that doubling the sauce ingredients makes way too much sauce

Ms. Goldstein added 1/3 cup brown sugar to the sauce.  To my taste it is sweet enough without the sugar