Roasted Plum Chicken with Saffron Jeweled Rice

Prep Time: 20 minutes + 2 hours for marinade
Cook Time: 45 minutes
Serves: 2 with leftover rice

The farmer’s market has a large variety of stone fruits right now and Lee found Sweet Italian plums, a European type of prune plum. They have a sweeter flesh than most other prune plums and a deep blue/purple skin, a firm amber flesh and are not as juicy as Japanese plums. These plums go well with the red onions, baked chicken, thyme, and mint in this dish. Served over a bed of savory and bright Saffron rice, this one hits the spot.

Chicken Ingredients

• 8–12 ounces chicken (about 2 boneless, skinless breasts), thawed

• 6 ripe, soft Italian plums, pitted, divided, (3 halved, 3 chopped)

• ½ medium red onion, peeled and sliced into wedges

• 4 garlic cloves, minced

• juice from 1 lemon

• 1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

• 2 tablespoons honey

• ½ teaspoon red-pepper flakes

• 1 teaspoon coarse, kosher salt

• 6 fresh thyme sprigs

• 1 tablespoon olive oil

• 1 teaspoon caraway seeds

• ½ teaspoon whole allspice

• 1 tablespoon anise seed

• freshly ground black pepper

• feta, crumbled, for serving

• mint, chopped, for serving

• lemon wedges, for serving

Rice Ingredients

• 1½ cups basmati rice, uncooked

• 2 pinches saffron

• 3 cups vegetable stock

• 2 tablespoons butter, divided

• ½ red onion, diced

• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric

• 1 teaspoon fine sea salt

• ½ cups pistachios, chopped

• ¼ cup chopped parsley

• ¼ cup golden raisins

Chicken Preparation

1. Add caraway, anise, and allspice to a pan and toast over high heat for 45 seconds. Remove from heat.

2. Place toasted spices into a mortar and pestle and grind into a powder.

3. Place thawed chicken into a square baking dish. Add the toasted ground spices, plums, onion, garlic, lemon juice, lemon zest, honey, red pepper flakes, salt, thyme, olive oil, and black pepper. Mix well to combine and to make sure the chicken is well coated. Cover and marinate for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator.

4. When the chicken is ready to cook, heat the oven to 425° degrees F and place the baking dish with your chicken, and marinade straight into the oven. 

5. Roast chicken for 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven and discard thyme sprigs.

Rice Preparation

1. In a small saucepan over medium heat, add vegetable stock and saffron, pinching the saffron between your fingers to break it up, and heat for about ten minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium heat in a large saucepan. Add diced red onion and cook for five minutes, stirring frequently.

3. Add uncooked rice and toast for 3 minutes. Pour in saffron and vegetable stock, and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce heat to low, and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. Add an additional tablespoon of butter and allow to sit for five minutes undisturbed.

5. Mix in pistachio, parsley, and raisins.

To Serve

Divide rice between plates, top with chicken, plums, onions, and juices from the bottom of the dish. Garnish with crumbled feta, chopped mint, and a squeeze of fresh lemon juice.

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