Pomegranate Chicken
Outstanding. I prepared a feast for the last night of Rosh Hashanah, celebrating the end of a very trying year, as well as celebrating the amazing friendships that have developed as a result of it, but mostly the welcoming of a sweet sweet new year. Pomegranates are a symbolic fruit for Rosh Hashanah, they are both a new seasonal fruit and symbolize our wish to have a year full of mitzvot and good deeds, just as a pomegranate is filled with so many ruby seeds. My carrot coins were in this dish, representing abundance, either of blessings or wealth, I’ll take both! Most importantly, and an ingredient that was in almost every dish that I prepared, honey. Bring on the sweetness!
I started my preparations for this meal three days in advance, making sure that my chicken was well seasoned and perfectly marinated, that advanced prep was a life saver. I love a meal that you prepare in advance, leaving you time to doll up before a dinner party, relax and make sure your mama’s hand-stitched table cloth is ironed for the occasion. All I needed to worry about was heating these puppies up before the meal. This chicken was one of two meats prepared, a brisket as well, which will appear in the next few days, and several sides that I have prepared in the past, Rice Pilaf with Golden Rasins and Pistachios, Moroccan Beet Salad & Apple Cake with Honey. I also made rugelach, and in my fear that they would be a disaster, I didn’t photograph the process, they looked like they would be a disaster and turned out pretty perfectly, not to mention dangerously delicious.
Shana Tova and a sweet new year to everyone!!
Pomegranate Chicken
from House & Home
2 medium onions, sliced
2 cups baby carrots (or 2 cups peeled and sliced regular carrots)
2 whole chickens (3-1/2 lb. each), cut into pieces
1 tsp dried thyme
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup dried whole apricots, loosely packed
1 cup pitted whole prunes, loosely packed
2 tsp sweet paprika
Marinade
1/2 cup pomegranate juice (or juice of 1 pomegranate)
2 cloves garlic (about 2 tsp minced)
Juice and rind of 1 lemon
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp honey
According to ancient lore, the amount of seeds in the pomegranate is exactly the same number (613) as the mitzvot (good deeds) found in the Torah (the Jewish Bible). If you’re curious, count away!
Step 1: Spray a large roasting pan with cooking spray. Scatter the onions and carrots in the bottom of the pan. Rinse the chicken well and pat dry with paper towels. Trim the excess fat. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables and sprinkle — under the skin and on top — with thyme, and salt and pepper to taste. Tuck the apricots and prunes between the chicken pieces.
Step 2: Whisk the ingredients for the marinade together in a bowl. (If using the juice of a whole pomegranate, reserve some of the seeds for garnish.) Pour over the chicken and sprinkle with paprika. Cover and marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or for as long as 2 days.
Step 3: When the chicken is marinated, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cook the chicken, covered, for 1-1/2 hours or until tender. Uncover and cook for 30 minutes longer, basting occasionally, or until the skin is golden. Remove from the pan from the oven and let cool before refrigerating overnight.
Step 4: About 30 minutes before serving, remove and discard any congealed fat from the chicken. Reheat, covered, for 25-30 minutes at 350°F. Transfer the heated chicken to a large serving platter and sprinkle with pomegranate seeds. Serve immediately. Keeps for up to 3 days in the refrigerator; reheats well. Freezes well for up to 4 months.
One Year Ago: Stuffed Eggplant
Two Years Ago: Zucchini in Israeli Tomato Sauce, Crunchy-Topped Whole-Wheat Plum Cake & Caprese Pasta Salad with Grilled Eggplant
Three Years Ago: Salade Niçoise & Snapper al Sale
Four Years Ago: Porcini Trifolati
Five Years Ago: Meat Tzimmes, Sweet Carrot Coins, Rice Pilaf with Golden Rasins and Pistachios, Challah & Apple Cake with Honey
Italicious 
Fabulous! I’ve never tought about pomegranate juice in a marinade! Brilliant!
Wish I had been there to share the yum and laughter. Mom
Sent from my iPhone
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