Fig-Braised Chicken with Spiced Walnuts

December 2015 Bare Bones Broth Cookbook
3/4

reviews ( 7 )

100%

make it again

Photo by Christopher Testani

When we lived in San Diego, we used to walk through dozens of neighborhoods where we found fig, pomegranate, and citrus trees everywhere. Nothing beats the delicate flavor and juicy texture of a fresh, ripe fig-nothing except for maybe the dish. While fresh figs aren't highly accessible for most people, dried figs can usually be found at just about any market. We use dried figs here to create a dish that reminds us of those summer evening walks when we would score a bounty of fresh figs. Served with spicy toasted walnuts and smothered in a sweet and silky sauce, this dish is sure to become a family favorite.

Yield
4–6 servings
Active Time
15 minutes
Total Time
1hour, 5 minutes

Ingredients

  1. For the chicken:
    • 2 tablespoon ghee or olive oil
    • 1/2 cup dried mission figs, diced
    • 1/2 cup dried cherries
    • 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
    • 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
    • 6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
    • 2 tablespoons ghee or olive oil
    • 1 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1 cup Chicken Bone Broth
    • Chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley, for garnish
  2. For the walnuts:
    • 1/2 cup walnuts
    • 1 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
    • 1/4 teaspoon paprika

Preparation

  1. Prepare the chicken:
    1. In a cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon ghee or oil along with the figs and cherries and sauté for 2 minutes. Add the balsamic vinegar and Worcestershire sauce and simmer to reduce by one third, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat.
    2. Transfer the marinade to a bowl and place in the freezer to cool for about 10 minutes.
    3. In the same bowl or a resealable zip-top bag, combine the chicken and marinade. Mix thoroughly to coat the chicken evenly, cover if using a bowl, and refrigerate for at least 2 hours, or up to 24 hours.
    4. When you are ready to eat, preheat the oven to 400°F.
    5. Transfer the chicken from the marinade to a plate. Reserve the marinade.
    6. Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon ghee or oil in an oven-safe cast-iron skillet or sauté pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken thighs with the sea salt and cook the chicken in the hot ghee or oil until browned, about 3 minutes per side. Add the reserved marinade and bone broth and bring to a simmer. Reduce the liquid by half, about 10 minutes, turning the chicken periodically to ensure even cooking.
  2. Make the spiced walnuts:
    1. On a baking sheet or in an oven-safe sauté pan, toss the walnuts with the olive oil, sea salt, and paprika. Spread out in an even layer and toast in the oven for about 10 minutes.
  3. Serve:
    1. Transfer the skillet or pan with the chicken to the oven and cook for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes. Serve the chicken, garnished with toasted walnuts and chopped fresh parsley.
Cooks' note
Store leftovers, refrigerated, for up to 1 week, or frozen for up to a year.

From Bare Bones Broth Cookbook © 2016 by Katherine & Ryan Harvey. Buy the full book from HarperCollins or from Amazon .
Reprinted with permission from Harper Wave.

Recent Reviews

View All

Amazing Dish. Only thing I'd say is that up front I make about 50% more sauce. I prefer it a bit saucier though. Lots of great flavors and not a difficult recipe

afketter from St Louis, MO /
Flag if Inappropriate

Overall, I'd give it a 2/4. For all the spices and sweet dried fruit, I expected it to pop with flavor. Unfortunately, it was rather bland. It was a good idea (and certainly was not terrible), but I would not make the effort again.

pissedconsumer from NY, NY /
Flag if Inappropriate

Spectacular, with relatively little work! Serve with rice, not rancid couscous! :-) This is company food. YUM! I used skinless chicken thighs with bone, and didn't reduce the sauce much, because I've decided I love sauces! It turned out GREAT!!!!!

heidimayer from Park Ridge, IL /
Flag if Inappropriate

I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of substituting chicken breasts for the thighs (we don't like dark meat) and dried cranberries for the dried cherries, I also doubled the marinade because others said it would not be enough. Over all I found this recipe to be more difficult to prepare than I was expecting, tasted good but much to tart. Will probably not use cranberries next time, but the marinade was enough for three chicken breasts.

nixicarbon from Los Angeles /
Flag if Inappropriate

It says boneless skinless thighs, but the thighs in the picture still have the skin on.

Rickw230 from Palm Springs /
Flag if Inappropriate
Write Review