It seems that many people find chicken boring.
I happen to find it fascinating.
Not only because chicken is friendly enough to let you take it wherever your imagination can go and because it can be the juiciest and crispiest meal, but also, because of that story my mother told me when I was growing up.
When my mom was about 10 years old, my grandmother who came to Mexico from Austria in her early twenties having survived years of war, turbulence and the loss of most of her family, taught my mom a serious lesson: you can survive most hardships in life if you know how to cook, she had said, and mostly, if you know how to cook chicken from scratch.
Cooking from scratch really meant from scratch. No nonsense. So my mom learned how to kill, pluck and cook chicken a thousand ways.
I have that dissonant image of them plucking those birds, because if you had met my grandmother, you would have probably thought, like me, that she was one elegant and classy lady. Here’s an old photo I found (do excuse my 80’s bangs and shoulder pads…)
Ok, now that I was going through old albums, I found this other one. And I think that my mom happens to be a classy lady too… (aside from the bangs and shoulder pads, I am wearing one of those Wang Chung vests, remember?)
My Lali, as we called my grandmother, was an extraordinary cook. I could write down pages and pages listing the dishes she made that I loved. My favorite ones always had a sweet spin to them. The roasted duck with the plum sauce, the chicken paprika with sweet pimientos, the stuffed cabbage with that heart warming sauce…
If I could have my Lali over for Rosh Hashanah next week, I would treat her with the Chicken with Tamarind and Apricots I learned to make from Flora Cohen right before I got married. A cookbook writer and teacher from Syrian ancestry, who like my grandmother, was an immigrant who made Mexico her home bringing along exotic flavors from her birthplace. Flora was known to turn ignorant brides, who did not know how to boil an egg, into competent cooks who could bring bliss to the tummies of their new husbands (hey, at least my husband didn’t starve in those first years…)
And just like many of my Lali’s dishes, from Austria, Flora’s Syrian meals took a joy ride with Mexico’s native ingredients.
People wonder about the existence of Jewish Mexican cuisine. This dish is but one example. After I was asked to teach a class on Jewish Mexican cooking, I realized it could have been an ongoing series. Just a small window into the fascinating twists and turns that foods take on as they travel through the world in unimaginable kinds of luggage and intermingle with their new homes…
But for now, I leave you with this chicken, which can become a staple in your home. That’s how good it is.
After you rinse and pat dry the chicken pieces, sprinkle with salt and fresh ground pepper…
Don’t remove the skin! PLEASE!! It WILL turn crispy and it will also help the chicken be extra moist and flavorful.
Heat the oil in a large and deep skillet over low heat. Place the chicken skin side down. You don’t want the chicken pieces to be cramped on top of each other, if they are, use two skillets.
The chicken is going to brown for an hour. I know this sounds like a lot of time, but you can make the rest of your dinner during that time, like your rice, pasta or salad. Browning the chicken like this, flipping it once or twice in between, makes the skin crisp and the fat underneath the skin melt. Slowly, deliciously. It makes the chicken so juicy and soft, it practically comes off the bone!
After about an hour the chicken looks like this.
It is already flavorful as it has basted in its own juices… Now lets take it a step further.
Pour the water over the chicken, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a simmer.
Pour the tamarind concentrate. You can easily make the concentrate at home, or buy it in most Latin or International stores. If you don’t find concentrate, but find tamarind paste, dilute 2 tablespoons of the paste and 1 tablespoon of sugar in 3/4 cup warm water. The tamarind brings a rich and tangy flavor to the dish…
Add a couple generous tablespoons of apricot jam.
Spoon the Chipotles in Adobo sauce, or if you want it more piquant, drop in a couple whole Chiles in there too… Their smoky and sweet flavors complement the rest of the ingredients.
Stir in the chopped dried apricots. I found some Turkish ones at the store, with a deeper brown color. They were so meaty…
Stir it all and bring it to a steady medium simmer, for about 35 minutes more. The sauce will have thickened and become outrageously sticky (sticky in a really good way). I love the chunks of apricot in there.
A Sephardic dish with a Mexican influence. Perfect for holidays, this chicken dish is a crowd pleaser. A bit spicy, a bit sweet, a bit tangy, crisp and moist… It can be one of those safe cards to play, just like that passed down brisket recipe…
Now, I didn’t have to kill and pluck a chicken, but I think my Lali would be pleased. I learned my lesson well, and I am trying to learn to cook chicken, in more than a thousand
tasty ways.
Chicken with Tamarind, Apricots and Chipotle Sauce
Recipe Yield
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Ingredients
- 1 whole chicken cut into pieces, plus two more pieces of your choice, with skin and bones
- 1 teaspoon kosher or sea salt or more to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground, or to taste
- 1/2 cup safflower or corn oil
- 4 cups water
- 1/2 pound dried apricots about 3/4 cup, roughly chopped
- 2 tablespoons apricot preserves
- 3/4 cup tamarind concentrate can be store bought or homemade (recipe follows), or substitute with 2 tablespoons tamarind paste mixed with 1 tablespoon sugar and 3/4water
- 2 tablespoons Chipotles in adobo sauce or more to taste, add chiles if you please
To Prepare
- Thoroughly rinse chicken pieces with cold water and pat dry. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.
- In a deep extended skillet, heat oil over medium heat until it is hot but not smoking. Add chicken pieces in one layer, bring heat to medium-low, and slowly brown the chicken pieces for one hour. Turn them over every once in a while, so they will brown evenly on all sides.
- Pour water over the chicken, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring it to a simmer. Incorporate the apricots, apricot preserve, tamarind concentrate, chipotle sauce and salt and stir, and keep it at a medium simmer for 35 to 40 minutes more. You may need to bring down the heat to medium.
- The sauce should have thickened considerably as to coat the back of a wooden spoon. Taste for salt and heat and add more salt or chipotle sauce to your liking.
Comments
58comments inDeliciously Sweet: Chicken with Tamarind, Apricots and Chipotle Sauce
Julia Leatherwood
Oct 11
I made this tonight and it was absolutely scrumptious. My fussy partner even said how tasty it was. I served it with baby potatoes with lime and green beans and orange with pistachios . The two sides went perfectly with the chicken. Will definitely be making this again. Also,looking forward to trying other recipes from Mexican Table. I like in England and some ingredients are hard to source but most can be bought online.
Pati Jinich
Nov 06
So happy you guys liked this chicken Julia, and thanks for sharing your sides, those sound really yummy!
Lisa G.
Apr 14
Dear Pati:
This recipe is just the ticket for our upcoming Cal-Mex Passover menu.
Can this be adapted for Cornish game hens? If so, how would you suggest going about it? while? Halved? Spatchcocked?
Thank you in advance for your anticipated reply.
And Happy Passover!
Pati Jinich
Apr 18
Cornish game hens will be yum with the recipe! Go for it, Lisa!
devorah ash
Oct 18
I made this dish for Succos and it was a huge hit. I loved it, my guests loved it, my kids and grandkids loved it. Patti this is for sure a keeper for my family. Muchas Gracias.
Pati
Oct 25
=)
nicole
Apr 22
I LOVE tamarindo and never thought of adding it to chicken! It looks delicious can’t wait to try it!
Pati
Apr 22
Here’s hoping you like it!
Bonnie
Mar 30
I wand to make this recipe with duck for pesach. How do I do this? What part of the duck should I use? Shall I cook the duck the same way as the chicken? Should I adapt the recipe by cooking the duck first and then preparing the sauce recipe to pour over when I serve?
Thanks for any help.
Pati
Mar 30
Hm. You can go about it two ways. Either use the duck quarters as in the recipe, OR, sear the breasts in a pan, finish them up in the even until cooked through and make the sauce on the side…
Bonnie
Apr 02
muchas gracias!
Magdalena
Feb 20
Hi Pati!!
I just got your cookbook in the mail yesterday and this recipe was the first that caught my eye. I went shopping today for the ingredients and plan to make it this weekend. Thank you for writing such a fantastic cookbook. Saludos a Juju!
-Magdalena
Lisa Vargas
Sep 10
This is my 2nd time making this. The first time didnt go over very well. This time, I was on my way to making the tomatillo/piloncillo/chipoltle chicken ( one of our favorites by the way) but realized I didnt have enough tomatillos. I suddenly remembered the tamarindo I still had. Pretty sure I messed up somewhere last time because this time was AWESOME!! I cut the water back to 2 cups as you suggested to someone else, I also used apple jelly because the apricot jam got used somewhere else and thought it might be close enough and I added apricots ( regular ones, not Turkish APRICOTS like yours) and figs ( just for fun). I can hardly wait for my husband to get home and try it 🙂 Thank you for another amazing recipe!
Danielle
Mar 09
When I made this last night (with a few modifications) my fiancee declared that I had outdone myself.
I added sauteed onions, and used prunes (because I didn’t have enough apricots on hand), skinless thighs and breasts, honey instead of sugar in the tamarind mixture, only 2 Tbsp of oil, and about half the water. We ate it over brown rice with fresh cilantro and pepitas sprinkled on top.
Next time I might add a bit of garlic, though I’m not sure if that would change the flavor too much. The leftover sauce would probably be delicious as a glaze for baked salmon, or as the base for a carrot/onion/sweet potato tzimmes. Thank you for the recipe!
Pati
Mar 12
Danielle, I’m so happy you and your fiancee like this recipe. Thank you so much for writing me and letting me know how it turned out!! I think it sounds like a great idea to try it for a glaze on salmon. Let me know if you do!
Gabriela
Mar 05
Pati, this dish is absoulutely delicious! My family and I loved the flavor of the tart tamarindo, sweet apricots and spicy chipotle in adobo sauce fused together to create the sauce for the chicken. I have also made your pozole verde recipe and it was an equal success. Thank you for sharing your recipes and for helping me rediscover the flavors of my culture and the joy of cooking. I am excited to try many more of your recipes.
Muchas Gracias,
Gabriela
Pati
Mar 06
Hola Gabriela, Thank you so much!! I am so happy your family is enjoying the recipes — and you are enjoying cooking them!
Laurie
Feb 17
The taste was delicious but I did not end up with the sauce thick and sticy which I was looking forward to. I had a full pan of brothy sauce. I wondered if 4 cups of water was to much or if I did something wrong but I followed the instructions exactly?
Pati
Feb 17
Hola Laurie! try it next time with half the water. Depending on the pan and the heat, it may be too much liquid. If it looks like it is too much, you can just keep on cooking until it thickens some more
Mary
Feb 09
This was a delicious recipe. I ended up cooking tamarindo from scratch and that was a new experience for me! It was a big hit with my family. I also loved reading your posting that accompanied the recipe. You have a nice way of blending family, culture and food. Thanks!
Pati
Feb 10
Thanks Mary!! Fascinating to make the tamarind from scratch and work with the pods, right?? They are SO lovely.
Juan
Feb 07
First of all congratulations on the show, I love it. I’ve been in this country (USA) for over 20 years and watching your show always reminds me of my grandma’s and my mom’s cooking. I’ve been cooking some of the dishes in your show, and not to brag but they have been coming up pretty good. I guess is because of the way you explain them it’s so easy to follow. I have a question about this dish though, would it make a lot of difference if instead of water I added chicken broth? I hope all is well with you and your love ones and keep up the good work.
Thanks,
Juan
Pati
Feb 10
Hola Juan,
You can brag all you want! So happy dishes are turning out well, that´s my biggest hope! You can switch for water, it will be tasty too.
Viva Hush
Nov 20
I found that if I use an ordinary yogurt as well as include a spoonful of sugar free of cost jam it creates an excellent little treat.
Pati Jinich
Nov 26
Gracias, Viva! Thank you for sharing. Sounds delicious!!
Mike
Jul 06
This dish is SPECTACULAR! Bravo, Pati and Flora!
After I started browning my chosen chicken thighs, the excess rendered fat and limited time dictated that I remove the skin :-(. I also used some canned apricots to extend the sauce. Without the browning step it is still very tasty and even easier to make.
I believe that this dish could be made with most dried fruits. It definitely reminds me of my favorite Moroccan and Persian dishes.
It is a tragedy that dishes featuring fruits or vegetables are still rare in the Mexican restaurants of southern California.
So looking forward to your cookbook!
Pati Jinich
Jul 06
Hola Mike, I am so glad you enjoyed the Chicken with Tamarind, Apricots and Chipotle Sauce!
Christina
Jun 30
White Rice with Fideos; Where do l find the recipe?
Pati Jinich
Jul 02
Here is the link to the recipe Christina http://patijinich.com/pati_2020/2011/06/white-rice-with-toasted-angel-hair-pasta.html. Hope you enjoy!
Steve
Jun 22
Thanks for this recipe. I originally saw it in the NY Times when it was first published there. It sounded terrific and I cut it out to make a some indeterminate point in the future. As these things happen, it never got made and I lost the recipe. Fast forward months (a year?) and I’m now in Guanajuato researching my restaurant options. Lo and behold, as I click on the links in a blog that I happen upon in my research I come across this recipe again! Now that I’m here in Mexico, I’d like to buy the best tamarindo option for this recipe. What tamarindo product shall I look for in the mercado — shall I ask for “pasta de tamarindo” or some other thing?
Love those shoulder pads!
Aditi
May 06
Hi pati,
This is the second day in a row I am making this dish. The first time when I made it, my family loved it. We are going for a party and voila, I am making it, enjoying the fragrances emanating from my kitchen….
Thanks.
Pati Jinich
May 09
So glad your family loved it Aditi! Let me know how it goes over at the party!
Beth Heifetz
Sep 17
Pati, this seems perfect for Rosh Hashana. Do you ever make it in advance and reheat either later the same day or the next day?
Beth
Pati Jinich
Sep 19
Yes Beth, you can make it in advance! Just re-heat covered either in the oven or in the casserole on the stove top over low heat until very hot, before serving.
Arlene Arricaberri
Aug 16
I cant wait to make this!!!!
Raul Laforcada
Aug 13
Hi Pati!
Positively love your show!! And being raised in northern Mexico, I too was drawn to your wonderful handling of diverse flavors. Also love your theme song and was wondering where I could download it.
Congrats on a beautiful show y viva Mexico!
Pati Jinich
Aug 15
Hola Raul, I too love the theme song! It is by a great group called DomingoSiete and you can buy their music here: http://bit.ly/pz85JB . The theme song is called “Dame” but I honestly love all of their music 🙂
Sandra Langley
Aug 01
I love your show. Fortunately it airs on Saturday so I plan my activities around when you come on. I love your recipes, too. Keep teaching us about your beautiful culture. Thanks
Pati Jinich
Aug 01
Sandra, you are too kind. I feel fortunate that you are able to watch the show on Saturday and I am honored to be able to share stories about my culture with you. I hope you continue to enjoy watching!
Sandy Rivers
Jul 19
Pati,
I absolutly love the sound and looks of this dish, and can’t wait too try it! Thankyou,
Pati Jinich
Jul 20
Hola Sandy, I hope you adore it! Let me know how it goes.
Dzidra
May 07
Hi
Thank you for great recipy. I saw the pictures and had to make it. My douce thought didn’t thicken? I am wondering what went wrong. It seems to mee 4 cups of water probably was too much. But so far it tastes really interesting. Will see if my husband will like it.
Jenn
Apr 30
Pati, my family and I are getting ready to move to Mexico, thank you for all the fabulous recipes and for your down to earth attitude about cooking. Love your show, love this site. My kids think your food is amazing (and so do my husband and I). Thank you so much for helping me get my kids excited about our move!
Pati Jinich
May 13
Hola Jenn,
Congratulations on your upcoming move! When you arrive, you should try to visit El Cardenal and El Bajio, they are two of my favorite restaurants in Mexico City. Great ready for a whole new world of food!
JR
Apr 20
Just served this for Passover dinner, and it was a hit! I loved how juicy and tender the chicken was, and the tangy/spiciness of the sauce. This was so incredibly easy to make too, just time in the pan to achieve wonderful flavor. Thanks for giving me new inspirations for creating new traditions around food for my family.
Bill gibson
Mar 28
I have researched, cooked, and studied Mexican Cuisine for many years. This recipe is a great mix of flavors that is very pleasing. I remember having a dish in Ensenada called “Cordonices en Salsa de Chabacano” that had similar flavors. I prepared this recipe and got really rave reviews form my family. For those of you who are wondering, this is a real keeper.
Thanks you for sharing Pati
Pati Jinich
Mar 28
Thank you, so happy you enjoyed it!
betty
Feb 22
this looks crazy/delicious. i will try making it. thanks for sharing.
barbara klatt
Dec 27
after looking carefully at your photo where you mention darker turkish apricots, I would like to point out that those things are figs! I have never seen an apricot with tiny seedlings inside.
But I am sure, either would be delicious.
thanks for all your yummy recipes.
Barbara
Pati Jinich
Dec 28
Hi Barbara,
I know its funny. But they are not figs! They are Dark Turkish Apricots proudly sold at Whole Foods (said to have no additives or preservatives and naturally dried…), you can check for yourself if you have a store near by… (!!!)
But come to think of it, figs would also be good…
Sunshine [at] The Culinary Vampire
Sep 17
Three things:
(1) I am so happy to have discovered your blog through The Kitchn. I love everything about it and, after reading the second recipe, I have already added your blog to my blogroll.
(2) Jewish Mexican cooking? That blows my mind!
(3) I realize that the point of this recipe is the chicken, but I wonder if there is some way to vegetarian-ize this recipe. I love the flavor profile and I want to try this, but we don’t eat too much animal protein at our house. Any ideas?
Pati Jinich
Sep 17
I am so glad you found my blog too! Yes of course you can play with these flavors! In the vegetable world, it seems to me that eggplant would be a wonderful candidate, zucchini too ; )
shayma
Sep 07
oh Pati- such beautiful family photos- you are beautiful and your mother- your grandmother- gorgeous. i loved the story you told-heartwarming. and a scrumptious recipe. x shayma
Pati Jinich
Sep 07
Thank you Shayma, I throughly enjoy reading YOUR stories ; )
Cheryl S.
Sep 04
Hi Pati,
Thanks for this great post!
What a wonderfully rich cooking heritage you have. I cannot think of anything more fabulous than bringing the Great Jewish cooking traditions to Mexico and having those two powerhouses of cuisine fuse! Goodness, just thinking about that makes me as happy as can be!
I am Jewish, and a great cook and I wish I had that rich and fertile tradition that you were born into.
My Mom’s greatest meal was spaghetti with Heinz Ketchup chugged on top.
However her mother, as it was told to me was one of the great Russian cooks whose cooking talent made people weep for pure joy, it was that amazing.
Happily, I believe I inherited my grandmother’s gift for cooking and baking, thank goodness:D!
I have been to Mexico so often and completely understand this happy fusion of cuisines.
Pati Jinich
Sep 04
Hi Cheryl,
Your comment made me so happy ; ) It is, as you say, one interesting fusion of cuisines, flavors and traditions… A lot of colors in a wild palette!
Jennifer Leal
Sep 03
I love that story about your Grandmother and Mom. I love how people’s families are just rich with traditions with cooking. It can always take you back.
I am going to try this dish this weekend! It just sounds so good!
What do you serve with it? Maybe I should read the whole recipe and I bet you tell us!
:o)
Jennifer
Pati Jinich
Sep 03
Hi Jen! I like to serve it with white rice. But anything that you can soak that sauce with goes! Pasta or Cous Cous, but nothing too dressed up, as what really shines is the chicken with the sauce ; )