Certain foods just seem to be ingrained in what we thing about certain cities, countries or regions. The South is known for its barbecue (which is different state to state), Italy is known for its pasta, Philadelphia is known for its cheesesteaks… you get the idea. I was recently sent a cookbook that plays off of this idea of a region’s traditional foods: The Yankee Chef: Feel Good Food for Every Kitchen by Jim Bailey. The cookbook is filled with traditional New England fare, from pot roasts to chowder, but also gives a “Yankee” spin to other foods, such as Lobster Fried Rice.
Jim, the Yankee Chef himself (or, more appropriately, third generation Yankee Chef) fills the pages of the cookbook with background stories, tips, and a bit of humor, which had me reading the cookbook page by page. Not to mention, the photos are breathtaking! I wish my photos looked like the ones found on these pages.
I wanted to test out one of his recipes so I went for the Plum Sweet and Spicy Chicken because I don’t think I’ve ever made anything like it, and it sounds fantastic! I altered the recipe so that I didn’t have to cook a whole chicken and added some fresh seared plums to top it off. I also made a quick homemade chutney that I thought would highlight the plums in the dish.
Ingredients:
Chutney:
- 2/3 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, divided
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 1 strip of orange peel
- 1/4 cup red wine
- 1 cinnamon stick
- 1 tablespoon chopped crystallized ginger
- 1 tablespoon golden raisins
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1/2 each lemon and orange, sliced
- the juice of the other 1/2 of the lemon and the orange
- salt and pepper, to taste
Chicken:
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1 chicken breast and 1 leg (multiply as needed)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make gluten free)
- 3 tablespoons honey
- 1/2 cup plum preserves
- 1/4 cup cranberry-citrus chutney (recipe below)
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons cider vinegar
- 1 plum, sliced