Italian Fruit Chicken - Pollo Con Frutta SeccaItalian Fruit Chicken is typical of the Italian habit of mixing fruits with meat. This recipe uses dried apricots and prunes that release subtle tastes during the cooking process. It is these tastes that impress both family and guests. I suggest if you are entertaining you have a couple of copies of this recipe printed and ready because you will be asked for it at some time. Maybe not after the meal but one of the guests is sure to phone you within a few months and ask for the recipe.
3 1/2 lb (1.6 kilo) Chicken; cut in pieces 4 Garlic cloves; finely minced 2 teaspoons Dried oregano 1/4 cup Olive oil (I use and recommend Extra Virgin) 1/4 cup Red wine vinegar 1 cup Pitted prunes 1/2 cup Dried apricots 2 Bay leaves 1/2 cup Green olives; pitted/sliced 2 Tablespoons Capers 1 Tablespoon Caper juice 1/2 cup Brown sugar (You may only wish to use ¼ cup – depends on taste) 3/4 cup Chardonnay or dry white wine (Plus a glass for the chef) Method:
First sip the chef's glass of wine – if it isn't good enough to drink it isn't good enough to cook with (I threw that in for those who need an excuse !!) In a large bowl, combine chicken, garlic, oregano, olive oil, vinegar, prunes, apricots, bay leaves, olives, capers and caper juice. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (approx 180C). Arrange chicken in a single layer in a shallow baking pan and spoon marinade evenly over chicken. Sprinkle with brown sugar and pour Chardonnay around chicken. Bake 45 minutes, basting every 15-20 minutes. With a slotted spoon, remove chicken, fruit, olives, and capers to a serving platter. Pour several spoonfuls of pan juices over chicken. Serve remaining pan juices in a sauce boat. Any dry white wine, except sparkling wine, may be substituted for Chardonnay. Italian Fruit Chicken recipe serves 4.
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