By Lisa Golden Schroeder

I don’t believe that Valentine’s Day is a greeting-card holiday. Maybe because my wedding anniversary landed, quite unintentionally, close to Valentine’s Day, I feel a special bond with it. The idea of showing my affection to my nearest and dearest, on a specific day laid out just for that purpose, is so perfect. In fact, I gave up trying to send out winter holiday cards in favor of valentines a few years ago. Delighting friends with a bar of chocolate and my annual family update weeks after New Year’s is never a chore in the depth of winter. I’ve also made this slower time of year my moment to throw open my kitchen to guests who are now spending too many quiet evenings at home.

I still rely on my tried-and-true buffets, anchored by some kind of roasted chicken, for my favorite Valentine’s Day suppers. For a really cost-effective dinner party, I’ve found that if I buy two whole chickens and cut them into quarters myself I’m able to generously feed eight people. Each guest gets a sampling of both light and dark meat, and most don’t need to return to the buffet for seconds. Because it’s Valentine’s Day. I’ll want to make the chicken special, with a hint of sweet along with the savory. The flavors of Spain, which often play the sweetness of dried fruits and spices off the richness of meats and poultry, are deliciously addicting. I’ve made variations of my Catalan Chicken over the years, changing up the dried plums for apricots or adding a splash of wine instead of broth. But the sprinkle of dark brown sugar over the chicken stays the same, helping caramelize and crisp up the skin, while the meat stays moist and succulent.

As your guests arrive, settle them in with small glasses of sweet sherry or Rioja wine. Lay out a tray of crackers, a chunk of piquant Manchego cheese and a bit of quince paste—a classic Spanish combination of nutty sheep’s-milk cheese and fruit. Then serve up platters of your aromatic roast chicken, along with a pot of steamed whole-wheat couscous, fluffed with a spoonful of grated lemon zest. A skillet of quickly sautéed winter chard, fragrant with loads of chopped garlic, completes a heart-warming menu for your valentines. Oh, and don’t forget the chocolate!

CATALAN SWEET AND TART CHICKEN

Makes 8 servings

This recipe elegantly feeds a nice size dinner party but is easy to cut in half for a smaller supper. The sweetness of the dried plums (formerly known as prunes), contrasts with the brininess of the olives and capers—delicious with the richness of bone-in chicken. The cooking of Spain, where it’s common to see the combination of sweet and tart flavors enhancing poultry and meat, influences this style of dish.

INGREDIENTS

For the chicken

2 packages (3.5 to 4 pounds) Just BARE™ Whole Chicken

¾ cup dried plums (prunes)

1/2 cup green Spanish olives

1/3 cup small capers

8 cloves garlic, finely chopped

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup olive oil

2 teaspoons chili powder

½ teaspoon red pepper flakes

Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup chicken broth

For the Garnish

1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted

¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

INSTRUCTIONS

• Cut chickens into quarters with poultry shears.
• Place chicken pieces in a large bowl or jumbo plastic storage bag. Add dried plums, olives, capers, garlic, vinegar, oil, chili powder, and red pepper flakes. Turn pieces to coat with seasonings. Marinate in refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
• Heat oven to 400˚F; adjust oven racks to accommodate two baking pans. Arrange chicken pieces, olives, and plums on two foil-lined rimmed baking sheets. Pour marinade over the top. Season chicken with salt and pepper; sprinkle with brown sugar and pour chicken broth around pieces.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink when cut near the bone. Serve with pan juices, sprinkled with garnishes.

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Tags: catalan chicken, Chicken, Cooking, Dinner, Easy, entertaining, Healthy, Just BARE, Just Bare Chicken, Recipe, sweet, tart, valentine's day, valentines, winter

This entry was posted on Thursday, February 4th, 2010 at 11:19 am and is filed under Eating Simply, Fast & Healthy. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.