It’s not my husband’s fault he can’t find his way around the kitchen. Â He grew up with a mother who is a very willing and capable cook. Â She made hot breakfasts every morning and power lunches for school. Â Each night she lovingly prepared a fresh, well-balanced dinner. Â Then I came along. Â I met my husband in college when I was 18 and I already loved cooking for people. Â I remember sophomore year my husband and his roommates fasted for Yom Kippur, as in they didn’t eat for 24 hours. Â Who doesn’t love cooking for people who are ravenous?? Â We dated and I cooked. Â We married and I cooked. Â We had kids and I cooked a lot, and I was happy to do it.
I had two unusual days in a row last week where I had to work past dinner time. Â I verbally clued my husband in to all the dinner possibilities using staples from the pantry and the fridge. Â There was pesto, poached chicken meat, enough leftover soup for two, cooked brown rice, washed salad greens and vinaigrette in a jar. Â With pasta and a can of beans in the pantry, I was sure he could come up with something. Â Or so I thought.
I came home from a long day last Monday night and there it was on the kitchen counter — the take-out pizza box. Â Sigh. Â I don’t know what I was thinking that I could expect the poor guy to throw something together after a hard day of work that he and the three kiddos would want to eat. Â I’m sure no one suffered eating pizza that night, but what would he do the next day?? Â I knew I needed to plan for an easy dinner that everyone would like and that my husband could handle — orange and rosemary-glazed chicken. Â This is one of the simplest things you can make and so delicious. Â This chicken has saved my life on busy weeknights and has delighted dinner guests alike. Â Just marinate the chicken in a few ingredients ahead of time and pour everything into a casserole dish and bake.
I use all-fruit orange or kumquat preserves in the marinade, but I have used apricot, too. Â Just make sure it’s all fruit without the addition of any sugar. Â The preserves will be sweet enough. Â I love rosemary with orange and with chicken, and I happen to have an out-of-control rosemary bush on my front lawn so I never have enough uses for it. Â If you don’t have rosemary, thyme works well here, too. Â The best part of this dish is the yummy, glaze-y sauce which we spoon over the chicken on the plate, but doesn’t get wasted if you serve this with something like rice or millet to sop it up. Â With some steamed or roasted asparagus or sauteed spinach, someone looks like he knows a little something about something. Â My hero.
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- 2 ½ - 3 pounds bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces* (breasts cut in half), seasoned with 1 ½ teaspoons sea salt or kosher salt as soon as you get home from the market
- 8 ounces all-fruit orange, kumquat, apricot or peach marmalade, about ¾ cup (such as St. Dalfour or Sorrell Ridge)
- 1 ½ Tablespoons whole grain or stone-ground mustard
- 2 Tablespoons shoyu or wheat-free tamari (or coconut aminos)
- 2 Tablespoons unsalted butter, melted (or plant butter)
- 2 Tablespoons finely chopped fresh rosemary (or fresh thyme leaves)
- ½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- Combine orange marmalade, mustard, shoyu, melted butter, rosemary, and pepper in a glass or nonreactive container that is just big enough to hold the chicken. Add the chicken to the marinade and coat each piece well. Cover and refrigerate for 6-8 hours, or longer if that’s more convenient.
- Remove chicken from the refrigerator and preheat the oven to 400 degrees. If you’re not in a rush, allow the chicken to sit out at room temperature for 30 minutes. Transfer the chicken pieces and any marinade to a baking dish, such as a 13 x 9 - inch. Bake for 45 minutes or until cooked through and browned on top. Remove from the oven and allow to sit for 10 minutes before serving, if possible.
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