NOBODY IS MORE SOUTHERN THAN MY SISTER, AND when I complimented her on the “Indian” chicken dish she once served at her home in Wilmington, North Carolina, she looked at me with puzzlement and said, “Honey, I don’t know what on earth you’re talking about. This recipe goes back almost three hundred years, to the Cape Fear rice planters, and every friend I have in Wilmington has her special version.” So much for this particular ethnic influence on Southern cooking, I figured, fully bewildered. Naturally, Hootie served the simple dish with rice, as I now do, and, without fail, guests rave as if I’d been cooking half a day.
MAKES: 6 servings
INGREDIENTS:
- 3 whole chicken breasts on the bone, split
- 2 tablespoons butter, cut into pieces
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
- 1 1/2 cups orange juice
- 1/2 cup dark raisins
- 1/2 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 teaspoon curry powder
- 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
- Chopped fresh parsley leaves for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS:
- Preheat the oven to 425°F.
- Arrange the chicken breasts in a greased shallow baking dish.
- Dot the chicken breasts with the pieces of butter.
- Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper.
- Bake the chicken breasts for 15 minutes.
- In a saucepan, combine the orange juice, raisins, almonds, curry powder, and dried thyme.
- Bring the orange juice mixture to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes.
- Pour the orange juice mixture evenly over the chicken breasts.
- Reduce the oven heat to 325°F.
- Continue baking the chicken breasts until they are tender and nicely glazed, which should take about 30 minutes.
- Garnish with chopped fresh parsley leaves.
- Serve and enjoy!
