Roast Chicken with Apricot Habanero Glaze

My first dahlia bloom unfurled this month, which means that summer is here in all her vibrant, cheerful glory. The explosion of flowers and veggies in the garden is well worth the constant wiping of sweat from my brow that comes with any visit to the yard these days. And there’s a saying in some cultures that hot in means hot out, aka eating spicy foods helps you sweat more, which in turn cools you down. I don’t know if it’s true on a scientific level, per se, but it’s a great excuse to infuse just a liiiiittle more spice into life. And my go-to means to do so is through this very oldie-but-goodie Apricot Habanero Jam recipe from the early days of my blog way back in dusty ol’ 2013. And one of my favorite ways to use said jam is by making a roast chicken with an apricot habanero glaze to go with it.

I used the jam as the base for the glaze for this roast chicken, as well as, apricot halves, onions, and salt and pepper. After roasting, the apricot halves retain their shape until you attempt to cut them, and in that instant they melt into a delicious apricot, thyme, and chicken-flavored jelly, perfect for spooning over the sliced chicken meat. It’s got a great zip to it thanks to the abundance of ginger in the jam, and the apricots add just the right amount of  sweet + tartness to the mix. The thyme and the habanero add some heat and herbal freshness to it, and when you cover the chicken with the apricot habanero glaze and roast it until the whole thing caramelizes, you get something akin to poultry perfection.

Now, when you have a glaze with sugar in it, it does brown the skin of the bird more quickly, so make sure to have some tin foil handy to tent the bird to keep it from browning too quickly. (This is also mentioned in the recipe instructions, but it doesn’t hurt to say it twice because it’s that important. Nobody likes a burnt patch of chicken skin.)

Also, I just want to note that the apricot habanero jam makes more than what you need for the chicken’s glaze. So definitely store the excess in a jar in the fridge and enjoy it on a plethora of toppings, from buttered toast to grilled cheese to a fancy cheeseboard dip. I’m still enjoying the last of my batch from a couple weeks ago and it’s been elevating my PB + J’s to a whole new level. And our Portland home is still on the market, FYI, so if you know of anyone interested in moving to the rose city, please pass it along Read More