Apricot-Glazed Chicken

$2.38 per serving (I was able to get 5 servings out of this because I used a whole chicken with wings and thighs, but this can easily just be used with chicken breasts for however many servings you need.)

I tried another new recipe tonight. I think it was a success, but I'm not completely sure. It was tasty, but I think I'd have to try it again to get the "crispiness" that I expected (and the recipe eluded to). Apricot jam, I'm learning, is a great thing to have on hand because it can be made up into a mild glaze (like this recipe) or sauce quite easily. 

Update: I woke up thinking about this recipe (not sure if that's a good thing or not) and was thinking about how the glaze didn't crisp the way I thought it would. I think I know why : I don't have a pastry brush (or any brush for that matter), so I ended up just spooning the glaze on the chicken. I think with a brush, I'd get a thinner layer of the glaze rather than globs. Basting with a brush would be easier than basting with a spoon. Once I get a brush, I'll try this recipe again to see if that makes any difference in the crisp factor.

I found this recipe on Whole Living (somehow associated with Martha Stewart). This recipe was kind of deceptive because it was a 30 Minute Meal, yet it called for "1 whole chicken, cut up into parts" which took me the better part of a half hour to do (something I don't think I will ever do again ... I'll pay the extra cents per pound to get a chicken that is already quartered). So, it took me about an hour, all said and done. 

Overall, it was good -- not wonderful, but not bad either.  The sweetness of the apricot glaze was quite good, definitely a mild flavor that I enjoyed. I think the glaze is something I'll keep on hand for future recipes. I served it with roasted sweet potatoes (by the way, you'll be seeing those around here a lot because I love them).

RECIPE: 

Apricot-Glazed Chicken

www.wholeliving.com

Serves 4.

• 1 cup apricot jam
• 3 teaspoons dry mustard
• 1 tablespoon sherry vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• Pinch of cayenne pepper
• 1 whole chicken, cut into parts (about 6 pounds)
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 
  
• 1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
• 2. In a small bowl, combine the jam, mustard, vinegar, olive oil, and cayenne. Season the chicken with salt and pepper, then brush with the glaze.
• 3. Roast, basting with the glaze, for 10 minutes. Turn the chicken and roast for 10 minutes more. Baste the chicken with the glaze and roast 5 minutes more, or until the glaze is just crisp.

RECEIPT:

I don't buy anything with high fructose corn syrup in it, so I sprung for the more expensive Apricot Jam that didn't contain that as the second ingredient (or have it as any ingredient for that matter). My chicken was a regular Foster Farms Whole Chicken that was on sale for $0.99/pound.

Note: the recipe called for Sherry Vinegar and I accidently grabbed the wrong bottle and picked up Sherry Cooking Wine-- must look more closely at labels! It tasted fine with the Cooking Wine though.

Sherry Cooking Wine: $0.36

Apricot Jam: $4.99

Whole Chicken: $4.75

Dry Mustard: $0.30

Two Sweet Potatoes: $1.48

Total: $11.88 / 5 servings = $2.38