This chicken with sour cherries is probably the festive poultry dish that I will make for Christmas (scroll down for the recipe). Thanksgiving is not celebrated in Greece, and turkey is usually roasted for Christmas in most homes these days. But Costas and I are not particularly fond of turkeys, at least the big, fat, frozen ones sold in our supermarkets.
When I was a child, I remember a man with a long cane passing from our neighborhood leading a flock of loudly guggling gray-black turkeys, in mid-December.
This is a 1957 photo I found at eBay taken in Belgium. It reminds me of my childhood and it is for sale as part of a newspaper’s archives.
We lived on the outskirts of Athens, and my grandfather kept hens mainly for eggs, and only on special occasions did he slaughter one for the table. Chicken was a luxury meat then, before the horrid mass production of poultry.
I don’t remember if we ever bought a turkey from this itinerant man, but I had seen other women choose a bird, which, I believe, he slaughtered on the spot.
Some years ago, we managed to find on Kea a free-range gray-black bird, like those of my childhood. It was lean, and the butcher suggested I boil it and make soup, as was the custom on the island, back when Christmas celebrations was not the big deal it is today with the decorated tree, the elaborate gifts etc; especially outside the big cities.
People went to church in the morning and then the family gathered around the table and warmed up with a hearty chicken or turkey soup usually finished with creamy avgolemono (egg and lemon sauce).
I was determined to roast the free-range turkey I got, and brined it for three days, before rubbing it with olive oil and spices and baking it. I don’t think it was memorable, and we decided not to repeat the dish.
Chicken with Sour Cherries and Onions
An easy and delicious dish that combines Eastern Mediterranean and Asian traditions. The tart sour cherries are traditionally cooked with meatballs in Iran, Syria, and Turkey, and since I love the combination of fruit with all kinds of meat, I thought chicken would be great with cherries.
Boned and skinned chicken thighs cook fast, so the cherries don’t lose their bright color when the dish is done. Last but not least, I balance the cherries’ tartness with plenty of sliced Kea onions which are wonderfully sweet.
I marinate the chicken with soy sauce and wine, as I do when I make a stir-fry, and this adds an extra layer of flavor. Serve with just fresh crusty bread, or with toasted pita triangles, like Anissa Helou’s Kabab Karaz. Great with a simple bulgur pilaf, as well as with mashed or roasted potatoes. In the winter it is ideally complemented with David Tanis’ Baked Polenta.
Serves 4-5
MARINADE:
¼ cup soy sauce, preferably Japanese
¼ cup white wine
3 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
About 2 Tablespoons fresh thyme
1 ½ pounds (750 grams) boned and skinned chicken thigs
About 1/3 cup olive oil
2-3 medium sweet onions (about 1 pound, 500 grams) halved and cut to about 1/8-inch slices
1 ½ pounds (750 grams) pitted sour cherries, fresh or frozen
Freshly ground pepper and salt, to taste
1-2 teaspoons honey or maple syrup, optional
Fresh thyme to sprinkle
In a medium bowl mix the marinade ingredients, add the chicken, toss, cover and set aside for about 20 minutes, while you start sautéing the onions. Or you can transfer to a Ziploc bag and refrigerate for up to 3 hours.
In a heavy skillet or sauté pan warm the olive oil and add the onions. As they start to sizzle, toss, lower the heat and let the onions cook for about 8 minutes, to soften.
Increase the heat and add the chicken along with its marinade to the onions in the pan. Cook tossing often for about 10 minutes, or until the pieces are no longer pink.
Add the sour cherries, toss, and cook in high heat for another 10-15 minutes until the chicken is cooked.
Taste, and add some honey or maple syrup if you find the sauce tart –I don’t. Add freshly ground pepper and salt, if needed, sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve.
A list of the 25 most Influential CookBOOKS in the US was publist in the NYT Slyle magazine is well-researched, with few surprizes. I would add Patience Gray’s Honey from the Weed, but I really cannot tell you which I would take out…
And if you started buying your presents, both José Andrés and I suggest the ZAYTINYA Cookbook
You are SO KIND to include the photo of my book in your favorite ones... not in the list but it is fine!
I was just telling Costa about the lovely snails you sourced then. Similar ones are crawling all over the garden now, as we finally had some rain, after a terrible drought of more than eight months of not a drop… would love to taste the Andalucian version!