Best Double Plum Baked Chicken Recipes

ALE-SIMMERED CHICKEN WITH DRIED PLUMS

Steps:

• Trim excess fat from chicken parts and cut breasts in half so that all the pieces will cook in roughly the same amount of time. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat vegetable oil in a large, oven-proof pot (such as a Dutch oven) over medium-high heat. Brown chicken on all sides, about 5 minutes per side, then set aside on a plate and reserve. Add the onions and garlic and cook a couple minutes to sweat them down a little. Add the ale and deglaze the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste and canned tomatoes and stir well until tomato paste is dissolved. Add carrots, thyme, and plums. Return the chicken to the pot along with any reserved juices. Gently submerge the chicken pieces by nestling them into liquid (this will cook them evenly without drying them out).
• Return to medium heat and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, cover, and continue to simmer on low for 1 1/2 hours until chicken is cooked through and starting to fall off the bone.

ROAST CHICKENS WITH PLUMS

Steps:

• Grate the zest from the lemons and place in a small bowl. Set aside the zested lemons.
• Stir sumac, salt, pepper, cinnamon and allspice into the lemon zest. Stir in 3 tablespoons of the olive oil and the garlic. The mixture should feel like wet sand. Rub it all over the chickens, including inside the cavity.
• Divide thyme bunch in half and place in the chicken cavities. Place chickens on a roasting rack set over a rimmed baking sheet, and let marinate, uncovered, in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to roast, let chickens come to room temperature for 30 minutes. Heat oven to 450 degrees.
• In a large roasting pan, toss together plums, shallots, honey, oil, salt, cinnamon, allspice, bay leaf and 2 tablespoons water. Spread out plum mixture evenly over the bottom of the pan. Place chickens on the rack over the plums in the pan. Roast for 30 minutes.
• Meanwhile, squeeze 1 tablespoon juice from reserved lemon and mix it with remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil. Drizzle this over the chicken, then continue to roast until the birds are golden-skinned and cooked through, about 30 to 45 minutes longer.
• Let chickens rest, covered lightly with foil, for 10 minutes. Carve and serve with the plums and more thyme for garnish.

SHEET-PAN CHICKEN WITH ROASTED PLUMS AND ONIONS

Steps:

• Toast the fennel seeds in a small skillet over medium heat, stirring, until fragrant, about 2 minutes. Pour seeds into a mortar and pound with a pestle until coarsely crushed (or lay seeds on a cutting board and pound them with a can or jar).
• Put the seeds into a large bowl and stir in lemon juice, zest, garlic, honey, allspice and red-pepper flakes.
• Season chicken generously all over with salt and pepper and add to the bowl, turning the pieces to coat them with marinade. Mix in plums and thyme sprigs. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours or up to 24 hours.
• When ready to cook, heat the oven to 425 degrees. Put the chicken pieces, plums, and thyme sprigs on a rimmed baking pan. Add onions, spreading them out around the chicken and plums. Season plums and onions lightly with salt. Drizzle everything with olive oil.
• Roast until chicken is golden and cooked through, 30 to 45 minutes, removing the white meat if it's done before the dark meat.
• Transfer chicken pieces as they are done to a platter. Spoon the plums and onions around the chicken. Drizzle a little of the pan drippings over the chicken and serve, garnished with the herbs and flaky salt.