Clearly, I have to purchase this cookbook. I’ve renewed “Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Family Favorites” the maximum that our library allows, and I’m still enjoying it. I opened it up yesterday to see if I could find dinner inspiration and found it almost instantly with Apricot-Ginger Chicken Legs. One of the things that really appeals to me about the recipes in this book is that quite a few of them cook quickly. This recipe, for instance, cooks on high in about three hours. That’s enough time to fully flavor and cook the chicken, but not so long that everything in the pot tastes like the pot. Three hours is also the perfect amount of time so that I can dump everything in the pot, we can make our evening dance class runs, and then I can walk in the door at home and dinner is ready and waiting. I love that!
This recipe calls for four pounds of chicken legs or bone-in thighs with the skin removed. I always hesitate when a recipe directs me to remove the skin. One, it’s kind of a pain to pull skin off a drumstick, and two, chicken skin keeps the chicken from getting dry. Since I was using dark meat though, and only cooking it for three hours, I took the chance and took the skin off. My chicken of choice for the day was whole legs, which I separated myself into drumsticks and thighs. This was pure economics as I’d gone to the store to buy chicken, and found a nice 4-pound package of just drumsticks for $1.99 a pound. Right next door though, there were whole legs for just 99 cents a pound, so I went that route and separated them myself, ultimately using both drums and thighs for the recipe.
There is an extra step in this recipe for browning the chicken before it goes in the pot- I did do that, but since the chicken was skinless, I really wondered if browning was adding much. I would be tempted to skip it if you find yourself short on time, and I don’t think the recipe as a whole will suffer much if you do. Other than the browning, this recipe comes together very quickly- the ingredients are mixed together and dumped over the chicken already waiting in the crock-pot. Easy as pie, and the aroma that will fill the house in a short manner of time is wonderful- a great thing to walk into the door and discover! Upon our arrival back home, I took a few minutes to throw together a pot of rice and we had ourselves a delicious dinner that everyone enjoyed.
I really need to get this book for myself.
Apricot-Ginger Chicken Legs
from Not Your Mother’s Slow Cooker Family Favorites
2 to 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 pounds chicken legs or bone-in thighs, skin removed, rinsed, patted dry and sprinkled lightly with salt 3/4 cup apricot preserves 1/2 cup orange marmalade 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce 1 tablespoon sesame oil 2 garlic cloves, pressed 3 medium sized shallots, finely chopped (I used one medium sized onion instead) 1 teaspoon peeled and grated fresh ginger Salt and pepper to tasteAbout 2 tablespoons sesame seeds for garnish 1 bunch green onions, chopped, for garnish (I used parsley instead)
Directions:
Coat the inside of the crock with cooking spray.
In a large skillet over medium high heat, warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil. Add the chicken in batches (adding more oil as needed) and brown, turning once or twice and transferring the chicken to the crock as it browns.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the preserves, marmalade, soy sauce, sesame oil, garlic, shallots and ginger with a fork. (Add a pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper as well.) Pour the mixture over the chicken. Cover and cook on high for 2 1/2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and cooked through.
Remove the chicken with tongs from the crock and place on dinner plates or a large platter. Serve sprinkled with sesame seeds and green onions.