Very Festive Chicken
Submitted by MsKaty
Festive holiday chicken coated in matzo meal and braised in a honey, pineapple-orange marinade with apples, onion, and celery. Finished with a bright honey-lemon-Dijon glaze and fresh pineapple. A natural for Passover.
YIELD
16 servingsPREP
½ hrsCOOK
1 hrsREADY
1½ hrsBuilt for a holiday table and friendly to a Passover menu, this chicken skips flour entirely and leans on matzo meal for its crust. The coating crisps up around pieces that have first soaked in a honey marinade spiked with pineapple-orange concentrate, crushed cloves, and paprika.
Pricking the chicken all over before it marinates is a small step that pays off, letting the sweet, fruity glaze sink past the surface.
The skillet does double duty. Chicken browns over a bed of onion, garlic, celery, and tart Granny Smith apple, which melts into a thick, savory-sweet sauce as everything simmers and then bakes together.
A final pour of honey whisked with lemon and Dijon brightens the whole dish, and a ring of fresh pineapple makes it look as festive as it tastes.
Chef Tips
- Chill the matzo-coated chicken in the freezer for 10 minutes before browning. The cold sets the coating so it sticks instead of sloughing off in the pan.
- Scrape up the browned bits as you cook the vegetables. Those caramelized particles are pure flavor for the sauce.
- Add the reserved marinade around the edges of the hot skillet so it bubbles and reduces into a glaze rather than just steaming.
- Salt at the very end, after baking, so the sweet glaze stays balanced.
Variations
- Use bone-in thighs only for richer, more forgiving meat that won’t dry out.
- No matzo meal outside the holidays? Fine breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes give a similar crisp coating.
Ingredients
Directions
Put 2 tablespoons of honey in 8 oz. measure. While stirring, add concentrate, cloves and paprika. Fill with water to 8 oz. mark and stir. Pour into a wide bowl. Rinse and dry chicken. Prick all over with sharp-pronged fork. Add to bowl, turning several times to coat. Let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes.
Drain chicken, reserving marinade. Arrange pieces on large flat plate. Sprinkle with ¼ cup matzo meal, pressing to adhere. Turn. Repeat on other side until all is evenly coated. Chill in freezer for 10 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375℉ (190℃). Heat 1 tb. oil in large, well-seasoned iron skillet.
In bowl, combine onions, garlic, celery and apples. Strew ¼ cup across hot oiled skillet. Cook for 30 seconds over medium-high heat.
Add half the chicken and lightly brown on both sides ( 5 min), scooping up and turning with sharp edged spatula. Transfer chicken and browned particles to plate.
Add another tablespoon of oil. Repeat until all is browned. Sauté remaining vegetable-apple mix until lightly browned, scraping bottom of skillet to loosen particles.
Add marinade around edges of skillet. Add 2 tb. parsley and bring to a boil, stirring to combine. Return chicken to pan, spooning with thick sauce. Cover and simmer on top of stove for 3 min. Baste.
Place in center of oven for 50 minutes, spooning with sauce once, midway. Remove from oven. Sprinkle salt evenly over all.
In cup, blend remaining tb. of honey with lemon juice and mustard. Pour over chicken. Re-cover and let stand for 5 minutes.
Drain chicken of sauce and arrange pieces on large warmed serving plate. Stir sauce and reheat briefly. Spoon some of it over the chick. Cut each pineapple slice into thirds and arrange around sides of plate in neat pattern.
Serve immediately, sprinkled with remaining parsley; serve extra sauce on side.
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