Gönül Blum, owner of Gönül’s J Street Cafe in East Sacramento, offers this recipe for one of the most popular dishes on her menu. All the dried fruit makes it Turkish, she says. It’s a great dish.
2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tablespoons sweet paprika
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup dried apricots, coarsely diced
1/4 cup dates, coarsely diced
1/4 cup currants or raisins
3 shallots, julienned (about 1/4 cup)
1/2 cup chicken stock
1 tablespoon apricot jam
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
Place one chicken breast half between two sheets of waxed paper and pound with a mallet or heavy, flat-bottomed saucepan until flattened to a thickness of ¼ inch. Repeat with remaining breast half. Combine the paprika and salt in a shallow dish. Dredge the chicken in the mixture, coating both sides. Heat oil in a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and saut, turning once. When the chicken is browned on both sides, add the apricots, dates, currants, shallots and chicken stock and bring the liquid to a boil. Lower the heat, add the apricot jam and butter and simmer until the liquid is reduced by half. Remove the chicken to a platter. Top with the sauce and serve with couscous or rice. Serves 2.
