Kitchen favorites: Apricots

Until I moved to California, I never really thought much about apricots. They were in season at the same time as my true warm-weather favorite -- nectarines! -- but I just found them kinda expensive with little reward in exchange. How times have changed.

I now look forward to apricots more than almost any fruit of the year. They are in season for such a short period of time, and their sweet-yet-tangy flavor is delectable. So I was thrilled to run across my first apricots of the year at the farmers market today. Emma and I each tried a sample, and she eagerly agreed with me that they were "dee-licious!" We bought about a dozen, and I'm betting that they will be gone in the next 24 hours.

In addition to being served fresh, dried apricots are also delicious. They're used in a variety of foods, including savory and sweet. I personally prefer the California dried apricots to the Turkish ones; however, the difference is slight, and both are wonderful. One of my favorite ways to cook with dried apricots is in Moroccan tagines. If you've never tried one, I can't tell you enough how much you are missing out. You don't even need the fancy clay pot.

Savory and sweet -- my two favorite adjectives for my favorite spring fruit.

I'm including two recipes with apricots: one for a tagine, the other for an apricot granita. Enjoy!

This recipe comes from the 2004 book "Cover & Bake," from the America's Test Kitchen series.

Chicken Tagine with Olives and Lemons

1 tsp. ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
2 tsp. sweet paprika
Salt
Ground black pepper
3 tbsp. olive oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 3 lb.), skinned and trimmed of excess fat
1 large onion, halved and sliced thin
2 tbsp. water
4 garlic cloves, minced or pressed through a garlic press
2 bay leaves
1 3/4 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup dried apricots, chopped
1 2-inch strip of lemon peel
3 tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped coarse
2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley or cilantro

Adjust an oven rack to the lower-middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees. Combine the ginger, cumin, coriander, paprika, 1 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. black pepper and 2 tbsp. olive oil in a large bowl. Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels, then add to the bowl with the spices and toss to coat. Heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add four of the chicken thighs, skin-side down, and cook without moving them until lightly browned, about 4 minutes. Flip the chicken over and continue to cook until the second side is golden, about 4 more minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add the remaining chicken to the pot and repeat, then transfer to a plate and set aside.

Add the onion and water to the pot with the drippings and return to medium-high heat. Cook, scraping the browned bits off the bottom and edges of the pot, until the onion has softened and is beginning to brown, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the bay leaves, chicken broth, apricots, lemon peel and browned chicken with any accumulated juices; bring to a simmer. Cover, transfer to the oven and cook until the chicken is easily pierced with a knife, about 75 minutes.

Transfer the chicken to a serving platter and cover with foil to keep warm. Add the lemon juice and the olives to the sauce; bring to a simmer over medium-high heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until the sauce has reduced by half, about 8 to 10 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Pour the sauce over the chicken and sprinkle with parsley or cilantro. Serve.

Cook's notes: This chicken is best served over some couscous, preferably with almonds in it. I personally prefer the parsley (as noted in the title of this blog). The original recipe calls for golden raisins rather than apricots, but I prefer it with apricots. We omit the olives, as we don't really care for them, and it is delicious either way.

This recipe is from the July 2007 issue of Cooking Light magazine

Apricot Ice with Roasted Almonds

2 tbsp. sugar
3 tbsp. fresh lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. almond extract
1 (11.5 oz.) can apricot nectar
1/4 cup finely chopped honey-roasted almonds

Combine the sugar, lemon juice, salt, almond extract and apricot nectar in an 8-inch baking dish, stirring until the sugar dissolves, Cover and freeze for 45 minutes. Stir nectar mixture with a fork every 45 minutes until completely frozen and slushy, about 3 hours.

Remove nectar mixture from the freezer; scrape with a fork until fluffy. Top with almonds. Serve immediately.

Cook's notes: Roasted almonds, without the honey, are delicious on top of this; I've found honey-roasted almonds hard to find. I prefer the Kern's brand of nectar,