Thanks Mom!

I got this recipe a while ago from my mom. She's an awesome cook, always so creative and not afraid to experiment. She introduced us to couscous and lentils long before they were trendy and some of my best memories of our time together center around her kitchen. The only time I can't eat something she's made is when she cooks or bakes with pineapple. Just can't stomach the stuff. And that is certainly no reflection on her. I'm sure that Aloha Chicken is delectable to most who try it. Just not me.

I digress.

So anyway, this recipe is one that she has mentioned several times and passed on to my sisters and I. I've heard lots of comments about it, raves really. I finally got all the stuff together and The Boss and I collaborated Saturday night to make it for dinner. We changed up the recipe a bit, so I've included the changes for you. I preferred to make it and let it slow cook in the oven, to avoid the last minute rush. And my skillet isn't big enough for the 10 chicken thighs needed to feed The Gang. Enjoy - it smells amazing while it's cooking and it was so tender it fell off the bones.

Plum Good Chicken Thighs

1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken thighs
1/2 tsp Chinese 5-spice powder
3 green onions
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1/2 c. chicken broth
1/2 c. plum jam
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar

In bowl, toss thighs with 5-spice powder and 1/2 tsp. salt. From dark green end of onions, finely chop enough for 2 Tbsp. and reserve for garnish. Cut remainder of onions into 1" pcs. Set aside.

In 12" skillet, heat oil on med-high until hot. Add thighs and cook 10 min. until browned outside and no longer pink inside. Transfer to plate and cover to keep warm.

In drippings in skillet, cook 1" onion pcs. on med. about 4 minutes or until lightly browned. Stir in broth, jam and vinegar. Heat to boiling. Reduce heat to medium and cook 3-4 min. or until sauce becomes syrupy. Return thighs to skillet and turn to coat thoroughly with sauce.

Changes I made:

• I doubled everything for the 7 of us.
• I used bone-in, skinless thighs. That’s what was on sale!
• I didn’t have green onions, so I sliced up, very thinly, a half of a large Vidalia. I put that in the olive oil and drippings and sauteed them till soft.
• Then we added the chicken broth, preserves, and vinegar and stirred over low heat till jelly dissolved and mixture boiled gently.
  
• We poured all of this over the chicken thighs in a 9x13 and baked it all for 1 hour on 325. In the last 15 minutes, I cranked the heat up to 400 to thicken the sauce a touch more.

Serve with a side of brown rice and green beans or broccoli for great complimentary flavor.