So last week, my recipe took two pages and three days. Mea culpa. I know that’s not what most of you are looking for on a weeknight after work. But this one is. Save the duck confit and cassoulet for entertaining or the weekend. This one-pot-wonder is so quick to make, easy to clean up, very tasty and different that the normal dinner rotation. I saw this in New York Times Cooking (which I highly recommend) and had been meaning to try it.
INGREDIENTS
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon grated or minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander
Kosher salt
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 small red onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 cup dried Turkish apricots, halved*
¾ cup white wine
2 to 3 packed cups baby spinach
2 packed tablespoons fresh mint or cilantro leaves
METHOD
In a medium bowl, combine 1 tablespoon of ginger with the cumin, coriander and 1 teaspoon salt.
Pat the chicken dry, then add to the bowl and toss to coat with the mixture.
Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high until shimmering. Add the onion, season with salt, and cook, stirring occasionally, until just softened in texture and color, 3 to 4 minutes. Push the onion slices to the sides of the skillet, then add the chicken so that each piece has contact with the pan. (It’s OK if it’s crowded.)
Cook, undisturbed, until the bottom is browned and releases easily from the skillet, 7 to 8 minutes more. Use tongs to flip the chicken and scatter the apricots around the skillet.
Cook until the other side of the chicken is no longer pink, about 2 minutes. Pour in the wine and remaining teaspoon of ginger. Use a spatula or wooden spoon to stir and scrape up anything on the bottom of the pan. Continue to stir to coat everything in the liquid until it’s mostly absorbed with a little pooling at the bottom, the chicken is cooked through and the apricots softened, about 3 minutes more. Double check the apricots as you’re cooking - big chewy chunks would ruin the dish. *You could also substitute dates, figs or prunes instead of the apricots. Expect the dish to be much sweeter if you use the dates.
Add the spinach, mixing until wilted, about 2 minutes more. Season to taste with salt. Sprinkle with mint and serve.
The resulting pan sauce is very flavorful, so you may want to serve rice or couscous with it.
If you’re looking to add some heat to it, try one of the hot sauces on the market (there are SO many right now) that has some sweetness to it, like Mike’s Hot Honey.