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Kuritsa, Tushonaya S Chernoslivom
Braised Chicken With Prunes
Kuritsa, Tushonaya S Chernoslivom
The original recipe for this Ukrainian dish calls for prunes which have been dried over a smoky wood fire, imparting a dusky flavour to the chicken. The commercially-processed prunes substituted here yield a subtler taste, but one which is equally delightful.
Ingredients
1 chicken (2 ½ -3 lb/1.1-1.4 kg), cut up
½ pint (150 ml) rich chicken stock
Salt, pepper to taste
¼ pint (150 ml) dry white wine
2 oz (60 g) butter
½ lb (225 g) prunes
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ pint (300 ml) water
2 large carrots, scraped and chopped
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 large onions, sliced
1 tablespoon flour
4 small cloves garlic, crushed
2 teaspoons sugar
4 sprigs parsley
2 bay leaves
2 slices of lemon, seeded
Details
Serves: 4
Method
Season the chicken with salt and pepper to taste. In a large, heavy frying pan heat 1 oz (30 g) butter together with the olive oil. Add the chicken pieces and fry them until golden, about 15 minutes. When the chicken has browned, transfer it to a plate and keep warm.
Add the carrots, onions and garlic to the frying pan, and cook them over medium heat until soft but not brown, about 8 minutes. Return the chicken pieces to the pan, skin side up. Place the parsley, bay leaves and lemon slices on top of the chicken. Pour in the chicken stock and dry white wine all at once. Cover the pan; bring to the boil, then simmer for about 30 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
While the chicken is simmering, prepare the prunes. In a sauce, pan combine the prunes, water and lemon juice. Bring to the boil uncovered, and simmer until the prunes are plump and tender about 15 minutes. Drain and set aside.
When the chicken is done, transfer it with a slotted spoon to a platter and keep it warm. Strain the broth from the frying pan into a bowl, pressing down hard on the vegetables with the back of a .Spoon to extract all their juice. Set aside. In the frying pan melt the remaining butter. Add the flour and stir to make a roux. Cook for about 3 minutes or until the flour browns slightly. Gradually add the reserved broth, stirring constantly, and bring to the boil. Simmer until slightly thickened, then stir in the sugar. Test for seasoning. When the sauce is done, return the chicken and the prunes to it, and heat through.
Serve the chicken on a large platter, garnished with the prunes and about half of the sauce. Pass the remaining sauce in a sauceboat.
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