I’m grateful to everyone who shares her favourite recipes with me — so grateful in fact, that if the recipe passes my love test, I subsequently share it with you. Susan Schwartz is today’s “Recipe Whisperer.” She encouraged me to try this Holiday Chicken recipe that hails from the much-loved Mosaic Cookbook. Good call, Susan!
Holiday Chicken
- 2 3-pound chickens, each cut into 8 pieces, fat trimmed
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 T mixed dried basil and oregano or Italian seasoning
- 2 to 3 T minced garlic
- 3/4 c chopped dried apricots
- 1/2 c coarsely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (dry-packed recommended, but I used the ones in oil)
- 1/4 c balsamic vinegar
- 1/4 c honey
- 2 T olive oil
- 1/2 c white wine
- 2 bay leaves
Garnish
- chopped parsley
Grease a large roasting pan or line it with tinfoil. Place chicken in roasting pan and season on both sides with salt, pepper, herbs and garlic. Add apricots and sun-dried tomatoes.
In a small bowl, combine the vinegar, honey and olive oil and drizzle over chicken, coating completely. Pour wine around chicken and add bay leaves. Cover pan and refrigerate for several hours — up to two days, turning once to marinate evenly. (I marinated the chicken for 2 days.)
Preheat oven to 350F.
Uncover chicken and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes, then cook for 90 minutes, basting often. When ready, chicken skin will be golden and juices will run clear when pierced with a fork.
Transfer chicken to a platter, then drizzle some pan juices over chicken and garnish with parsley. Pour remaining pan juices in a gravy bowl, skim off the fat and serve on the side. Serves 8.
Holiday Chicken Print Ready Recipe
Final notes:
- Holiday Chicken enlivens any special occasion. I’m thinking of renaming it Hollyday Chicken.
- Remember the Bee Gees song Holiday?
- Would listening to Madonna sing Holiday put you in the mood for Holiday Chicken?
- Or is Green Day’s Holiday more your style?
- Can you stand to watch Girls’ Generation perform Holiday?
- Even Scorpions sing Holiday.
- Don’t forget to make Life is Sweet and Sour Meatballs! This version uses Costco’s White Linen Marinara Sauce, grape jelly, matzah meal and white wine.
I was pondering making the holiday chicken for dinner tonight when suddenly I found myself listening to the Bee Gees sing an old favourite of mine. I was mesmerized by their clever lyrics, “de de de de de de de de de de”, And their ability to tell a story within the song,….”if the puppet doesn’t make you smile then you’re throwing stones, throwing stones, throwing stones,… Then he admits that he has no idea what he’s talking about and says so, “ don’t know what I just said so I’ll put my pillow on my head “. I’m glad you posted both the chicken recipe and the Bee Gees song at the same time because the relationship between the two is uncanny! Why just reaching for the Passover honey made me wonder if any of the Bee Gees are still living…. distracting me once again from the cooking at hand. I guess we will order in again. My family thanks you ?
No…no! Stop overthinking! Make the Holiday Chicken and the Life is Sweet and Sour Meatballs. your family will REALLY thank me, for real.
This recipe sounds so promising. Thanks for the share and the fun trip down memory lane – haha
Exactly, Diane! Promises a splendid holiday. And it is fun to look way, way back to early music videos.
I can’t wait to make this recipe ❤️
Thanks Cecilia! Enjoy!
I made the Holiday chicken recipe and added the black olives (Moroccan) as suggested by the Chef tip at the bottom of the page. It was so delicious, I was glad to have leftovers.
I was super happy with leftovers too Glenda. The gravy is good to the last drop. Will try olives next time.
Your posts are so like you, eclectic, original and fun.
I love reading them and sometimes I even try the recipes?.
Debx
Thanks Deborah! It is fun to connect over food. Maybe the web is today’s campfire.
this has become one of my favourite recipes. Easy to make, always delicious, impossible to ruin and very forgiving of people who dont sit down for dinner when you ask them to, late arrivals, etc. I now make this with 16 skin on bone in chicken thighs. For 16 chicken thighs I make double the recipe but with 1/2 the wine required so it’s crispier. I also reduce the honey a bit and add some sweet mango chutney to make up the difference. I encourage everyone to feed a crowd with this recipe – it’s virtually stressless and always yummy. Thanks Holly!
Going to make Holiday chicken your style asap! Thanks Liz! Love the specific feedback!