I've really fallen off the rails with the meal plan this week. I usually end up deviating from whatever I've sketched out at some point during the week, but it doesn't typically start happening the day after I put the darn thing together!

Anyway, this week has been a bit weird and I've ended up having to make a lot of last-minute swaps. These chicken thighs were originally destined for a delicious-sounding chicken, lemon, and olive tagine, but the parsley that I'd intended to use for the marinade had gone off and by the time I was able to get home with more, there wasn't enough time left to actually marinate the meat. So I ended up seeking something that I could make more quickly with the ingredients I had on hand. And, honestly, this was a really solid choice. It turned out great! I really love the dark tanginess of the balsamic-and-citrus-based sweet and sour sauce.

Chicken Agrodolce with Delicata Squash

Slightly adapted from Dish of the Day by Kate McMillan

Ingredients

• 1/3 c. flour
• 1/2 Tbsp. coarse sea salt, ground and divided
• 3/4 tsp. black peppercorns, ground and divided
• 8 skin-on bone-in chicken thighs
• 2 Tbsp. olive oil
• 3 bay leaves
• 10 allspice berries
• 3-4 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 delicata squash, seeded and cut into 2-cm cubes
• 1 large red onion, cut into 2-cm cubes
• 1/4 c. honey
• 1/4 c. balsamic vinegar
• 1/2 c. dry white wine
• 1/2 c. orange juice (~2 oranges)
• 1/4 c. lemon juice (~1 lemon)
• 1/8-1/4 tsp. ground cayenne
• 3-4 Tbsp. pine nuts¹, toasted

Directions

1. Combine the flour, 1/2 tsp. of the salt, and 1/4 tsp. of the pepper and dredge the chicken in it.
2. Heat the oil over medium heat.
3. Add the chicken, skin-side-down, along with the bay leaves and allspice berries.
4. Cook, turning once, until golden and slightly crispy (~8 minutes). Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.
5. Add the garlic, squash, and red onion and cook until the vegetables begin to caramelize (~8 minutes).
6. Add the honey, vinegar, and wine and cook until liquid is reduced by half (5-6 minutes).
7. Add the remaining 1/2 tsp. each of salt and pepper along with the cayenne and stir to combine.
8. Return the chicken to the pan and bring to a boil.
9. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until sauce is thickened and chicken is cooked through (20-25 minutes).
10. If sauce is still too thin for your liking, stir in a little of the leftover dredging flour and cook for another minute or two.
11. Add the pine nuts and cook until they soften slightly (2-3 minutes).

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¹ I was all out of pine nuts, so I ended up slowly toasting a few whole almonds and then chopping them into slivers and using them in place of the pine nuts. I think they made a good substitute, but I'll try it with pine nuts next time if I can. ^Back