Chicken with Plums and Sweet Spices
- Makes4 servings
- Cook Time1¼ hours
- Active time plus cooling30 minutes active
We learned this recipe from Sarit Packer and Itamar Srulovich of London’s popular Honey & Co. restaurants. The two are expert at combining everyday ingredients in new but simple ways to create unfussy yet elegant dishes with fresh, surprising flavors. This chicken traybake, which appears in their book “Honey & Co. At Home,” is a prime example. Fresh plums are added at three stages: a couple are blended to make a seasoning paste for the uncooked chicken thighs, some cook with the chicken so they become soft and succulent, and the rest, tossed in only near the end of cooking, retain their fresh texture and tartness. Vinegar, garlic, brown sugar and warm spices combined with the tangy-sweet fruit evoke the flavor of a South Asian chutney.
Don’t use plums that are rock-hard from under-ripeness, but also don’t use ones that are so ripe they feel very soft. Choose fruits that are firm with a little give. It’s fine to combine red, black and green plums—in fact, Srulovich and Packer encourage mixing varieties. Also, when removing the baking dish from the oven, don’t place it on a wet or cold surface; make sure it lands on a trivet to avoid thermal shock that could cause even tempered glass to break.
To access this recipe, you need to be a member.
Join Milk Street and get instant access to over 3,500 recipes for just $1.