Baked Chicken with Apricots

By Margannl

Ingredients

• 1 onion cut unto small wedges
• 1 lemon
• 1/4 cup light honey
• 3 tsp fresh thyme
• 3 chicken thighs
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 2 tbsp chopped onions
• salt and ground pepper
• 1/2 cup raisins and dried apricots

Preparation

Step 1

Peal onions into a saucepan. Add water to cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Drain and set aside.
Using a zester or a fine-holed shredder, and holding the lemon over
a bowl, shred the zest from the lemon as directed on page 287. Then squeeze the juice into another bowl. Measure
2 tablespoons of the juice and add to the zest. Stir in the honey and 2 teaspoons of the thyme. Set aside.
Remove any excess fat from the chicken pieces. Cut each breast in half crosswise. Be sure the drumsticks and thighs are separated. Remove the wing tips and discard. Rinse the chicken pieces and pat dry with paper towels Select a 3-qt (2.5- to 3-1) baking pan that holds the chicken comfortably in one layer. Combine the butter and shallot in the pan; place in the oven for 1-2 minutes to melt the butter. Add the chicken pieces and turn to coat well; leave the pieces skin side down. Sprinkle with salt and pepper
and the remaining 1 teaspoon thyme. Bake uncovered, basting a couple of times with the pan juices, for 15 minutes. Turn the chicken skin side up and add the onions and raisins to the pan. Baste the chicken and onions with half of the honey-lemon mixture. Return to the oven for another 10 minutes. Baste with the remaining honey-lemon mixture, reduce the heat to 350°F (180°C), and continue to bake, basting every
7-8 minutes with the pan juices, until the chicken and onions are fork-tender and golden and the pan juices have thickened to a glaze, another 25-30 minutes. If the juices have not thickened sufficiently, transfer the chicken pieces to a plate and boil the juices on the stove top until reduced to a glaze, 2-3 minutes. Return the chicken to the pan and turn several times in the glaze Arrange the chicken and onions on a serving platter. Spoon the glaze over the top and serve.