Spicy Apricot Baked Chicken

This is another simple chicken dinner that you can marinate all day while you are at work and then toss in the oven when you get home. I find a jar of apricot jam to be a perfect start to many marinades. The jam is slightly sweet but has a smoothness that goes so well with other flavors. Unlike say, strawberry or raspberry, apricots aren't super sweet so having them paired in a savory dish makes perfect sense. The heat from the jalapeno gives a great bite to this dinner and the natural sugars in the jam make the skin so beautifully golden and crispy. You can also make the marinade and put the chicken and marinade in a bag in the freezer. Pop the whole frozen bag in the fridge to defrost the day before you want to bake it up and it will be perfectly flavored and thawed when you are ready for dinner. Spicy Apricot Chicken (serves 2)
Ingredients:
2 chicken thighs and legs
2 Tbs. apricot jam
1 jalapeno
3 Tbs. white wine
salt and pepper
olive oil

1. To make the marinade, mix together chopped jalapeno, apricot jam, white wine, 1 Tbs. olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.
2. Pour it into a bag with your chicken legs and thighs. Let them marinate for at least an hour. I made up my baggie the day before and let it marinate overnight.
3. Dump the entire contents of the bag into a baking casserole dish and bake at 375 for 1 hour. The chicken will be cooked through and the skin will be super crispy.
Enjoy!

One Year Ago: Apricot Mustard Glazed Ham