December 5, 2006

After reading Marjane Satrapi’s latest book, Chicken with Plums, I couldn’t help but wonder what the dish actually tasted like. Lucky for me, my friends at Alfred A. Knopf (which is part of the same publishing group as Pantheon) had a solution: Enter Claudia Roden’s Arabesque. The book is beautiful and the recipes are incredibly easy to follow.

Chicken with Plums

6 boneless, skinless chicken pieces, breasts or thighs
2-3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon sunflower oil
salt and paper
9 dark red plums

For the Sauce
4 tablespoons plum jam
1 tablespoon red or white wine vinegar
1 garlic clove, crushed
pinch of chili pepper flakes or gorund chili pepper

In a large skillet, saute the chicken pieces with the garlic in a mixture of butter and oil, over low heat. Cook them for about 10-15 minutes, or until they are no longer pink inside when you cut in with a pointed knife. Season with salt and pepper, and turn the pieces over at least once.

Just before serving, cut the plums in half and ease out the pits. Lift out the chicken pieces and put them to the side while you saute the plums. Cook the plums for 7-10 minutes, turning them over once, until they soften. Return the chicken pices to the pan and heat through.

For the sauce, heat the plum jam with the vinegar in a small saucepan, stir in the garlic and chili flakes or ground chili pepper and cook a few moments longer.

Serve the chicken pieces with the sauce poured over and garnish with the plums.

Serves six


Try it yourself —it will be a welcome change after all that Thanksgiving turkey — and be sure to order your copy of Arabesque for other delicious recipes.