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Five Spice Chicken Thighs with Apples and Sweet Potatoes, Apple Cider and Wild Rice Pilaf, and Mixed Greens with Apple Cider Vinaigrette Dressing: Ann & Jason
For dinner, Ann & Jason roasted chicken thighs with apples, fennel, onion, and sweet potatoes. Both a delicious and beautiful recipe!
On the side they served a wild rice pilaf made with chopped apples and apple cider (along with a flavorful mixture of pecans, raisins, currants, dried cranberries, and candied ginger) and a mixed greens salad with apple cider vinaigrette. By the time we ate dinner it had cooled off outside and we enjoyed dinner on the patio under the stars.
Recipes:
Five Spice Chicken Thighs with Apples and Sweet Potatoes:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/five-spice-chicken-thighs-apples-sweet-potatoes
Serves 4-6
1 small fennel bulb with feathery stalks
3/4 pound sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch slices
1 1/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/2 tsp pepper, divided
1 medium red onion, cut lengthwise into 1/3 inch wide slices
2 large firm-tart apples, such as Ida Red, Sierra Beauty, or Granny Smith, unpeeled, sliced into 1/4 inch wedges
6 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (2 3/4 lbs total)
2 Tbs salted butter, melted
1 tsp honey
1 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
Preheat oven to 425. Cut off fennel stalks and reserve feathery leaves. Trim base of bulb and anytough outer layers. Halve bulb lengthwise, cut out core in a V, and cut bulb lengthwise into slim wedges.
Oil a large rimmed baking sheet and arrange sweet potatoes and fennel in a single layer. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Arrange onion and apples over potatoes and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp each salt and pepper. Set chicken on top. In a small bowl, combine butter, honey, five-spice and remaining 1/2 tsp salt. Brush onto chicken.
Roast 15 minutes, then tip pan and baste ingredients with juices (use a bulb baster or wide spoon). Continue to roast until chicken is nicely browned and no longer pink at bone (cut to test), 15 to 20 minutes more. Baste everything again and scatter reserved fennel leaves on top.
- Apple Cider and Wild Rice Pilaf:
- http://www.food.com/recipe/apple-cider-wild-rice-pilaf-treasure-205948
- Makes 4 servings
- 2⁄3cup wild rice
- 2cups apple cider, fresh
- 1cup water
- 1⁄4cup butter
- 1⁄4cup pecans, chopped or 1⁄4 cup sliced almonds
- 1⁄4cup golden raisin
- 1⁄8cup currants
- 1⁄8cup dried cranberries, halved
- 2tablespoons candied ginger
- 1large shallot, french, thinly sliced
- 1⁄2teaspoon salt
- 1⁄2teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 1⁄2teaspoon cinnamon
- 1⁄4teaspoon nutmeg
- 1apple, ida red, peeled, cored & chopped
Wash rice three times, drain well.
Combine rice, cider and water in pan. Bring rice mixture to boil, reduce heat to low and cover and simmer 45-60 minutes.
In a large frying pan, melt butter on low, add pecans, raisins, currants, and cranberries, ginger and shallots, stirring for 5 minutes.
Next add the salt, pepper, cinnamon, nutmeg, fresh apple and wild rice. Cook on low for 2 minutes until heated, serve warm.
Apple Cider Vinaigrette:
Ingredients
- 1 small shallot (or one lobe of a large), peeled, cored and quartered
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
- ¼ cup cider vinegar
- 2 teaspooons Dijon mustard
- 2 teaspoons honey
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
Instructions
- Puree shallot, oil, vinegar, mustard, honey, salt and pepper in a blender or mini prep or with an immersion blender in a large cup until smooth, about 30 seconds. Use immediately or store in a sealed jar in the refrigerator up to 1 week. Bring to room temperature before serving if it becomes solid.
