Honeyed Chicken with Prunes

 
My husband got me the Game of Thrones cookbook as part of my Christmas gift this year. It's called "A Feast of Ice and Fire" and includes an assortment of really fantastic recipes from the blog Inn at the Crossroads. This recipe came from the section "The North/The Wall". This recipe feels so perfect for the winter (it was still cold when I made it, but now it's almost spring and almost a little too warm for this). The sauce is a little sweet, sour and savory. It seems like the kind of thing that would be perfect on a table in Winterfell.
 
"'Hungry again?' he asked. There was still half a honeyed chicken in the center of the table. Jon reached out to tear off a leg, then had a better idea. He knifed the bird whole and let the carcass slide to the floor between his legs. Ghost ripped into it in savage silence."
-George R. R. Martin "A Game of Thrones"

I think my husband and I prefer a nice roast chicken in general with crispy skin, but this was a great change of pace. It would go great with mashed potatoes or roasted turnips, but it was just as good with simply dressed arugula and brown bread. Give it a try (and with the TV show starting up again in a month, perhaps it will be a great centerpiece for your table as well).

Ingredients
  • 1 whole roasting chicken
  • 2 Tbsp butter
  • salt and pepper
  • 1 cup apple cider vinegar
  • 2/3 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup dried mixed fruit (I used raisins and prunes, but apricots or cranberries would be great as well)
  • 1 sprig of fresh mint, chiffonade
  • 1 Tbsp butter for the sauce
Directions
  1. Rub the chicken with some of the melted butter and sprinkle generously inside and out with salt and pepper
  2. Place chicken on a roasting rack and roast at 400 degrees until cooked through (about an hour to an hour and a half)
  3. Meanwhile, mix honey, vinegar, fruit, mint and remaining butter in a pot and simmer for about half an hour until it is reduced by half and syrupy. It should be sweet and a little tart.
  4. Brush syrup on the chicken while still hot and serve with a little extra on the side.


Comments

Post a Comment