Dja'jeh Mish Mosh (Syrian Apricot Chicken)

Name: Dja'jeh Mish Mosh (Syrian Apricot Chicken)
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: 4 serving(s)
Ingredients: 3 lbs chicken pieces (skinned); 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; salt; pepper; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil; 2/3 cup yellow onion (coarsely chopped); 2 teaspoons minced garlic; 6 ounces no-added-salt tomato paste; 1 1/4 cups cold water; 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce; 3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (firmly packed); 6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice; 1 tablespoon tamarind paste; 1 1/4 cups whole dried apricots

Submitted by dustcatcher

"Sweet and Tart."

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Ready In:: 1hr 20mins
Ingredients:: 14
Serves:: 4

ingredients

3 lbs chicken pieces (skinned)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
salt
pepper
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
²⁄₃ cup yellow onion (coarsely chopped)
2 teaspoons minced garlic
6 ounces no-added-salt tomato paste
1 ¹⁄₄ cups cold water
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar (firmly packed)
6 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon tamarind paste
1 ¹⁄₄ cups whole dried apricots

directions

Preheat oven to 350.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. When the oil is very hot, add the chicken pieces and brown, cooking for 2 to 3 minutes on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside.
Heat oil in the same skillet over medium heat and cook the onions, stirring, until golden and soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook, stirring, until golden, an additional 1 minute. Do not burn it.
Combine the remaining sauce ingredients, except the apricots, in a medium-size bowl and pour into the skillet with the onions and garlic. Boil over high and then turn off the heat and set aside.
Arrange one layer of chicken in a small roasting pan (They should fit snugly). Cover the pieces with apricots. Pour the sauce over teh apricots and reserve 1/2 cup for later. Cover with aluminum foil or lid.
Bake for 1 hour.
Pour remaining 1/2 cup sauce over the chicken and continue to bake, covered, until the chicken is tender (30 minutes).

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Reviews

This recipe didn't quite meet my expectations. I think the main problem is that the chicken was more like a casserole. I should have done what Elmotoo did and cooked the chicken on the stove top. I also thought the balance of flavor was off and too tangy. Cinnamon would have been a good addition. Not horrible but not my favorite chicken recipe. Very sorry! Reviewed for A Taste of Syria.

COOKGIRl
I adapted this for using boneless breasts on the stovetop. Made the sauce, let it simmer while I browned the chicken. Added breasts & apricots to sauce & simmered about 15 minutes. I didn't have a can of tomato paste so I used a massive squirt from the tube & increased the tamarind. I served it over coarse bulgur. NO LEFTOVERS & rave reviews! Made for A Taste of Syria in the NA/ME Forum 9/2013.

Elmotoo