Terry Roberts
A little more complex but delicious. Excellent with wild rice, one of the rice blends, or a pilaf. Serves 8.
Ingredients
Chicken
8 4-ounce boneless, skinless chicken thighs
Salt, pepper and paprika for seasoning
Filling
8 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
2 whole shallots, finely minced
1 cup panko bread crumbs
¾ cup dried cranberries
½ cup orange marmalade preserves
2 tbsps freshly grated orange zest
½ cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/3 cup red bell pepper, cut into 1/4-inch dice
¼ cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley
½ tsp each: cayenne pepper, ground nutmeg, ground cloves, ground ginger, salt
1 large egg, beaten
Sauce
¾ cup chilled orange juice
¾ cup orange liqueur (or more orange juice if not using)
1 tsp orange extract
1 tsp cornstarch
Directions
Spray a 9 X 13 glass baking dish with cooking spray; set aside.
Rinse chicken in cold running water. Drain and pat dry with paper towels.
Trim any excess fat.
Cut underside of each thigh to open and gently pound to just flatten meat.
Put into a shallow baking pan cut side up.
Lightly season with salt, pepper and paprika; set aside.
To make filling:
In a large bowl, stir together filling ingredients just until combined.
Put 1/3 cup filling on 1 side of each thigh, flatten gently to shape and roll carefully to contain filling.
Put seam side down in prepared baking dish.
Discard any leftover filling.
To make sauce:
In a measuring cup, whisk together orange juice, orange liqueur, orange extract and cornstarch until cornstarch is dissolved.
Pour sauce evenly over chicken.
Lightly season with salt, pepper and paprika.
Bake, uncovered, for 20 minutes.
Lightly baste with sauce and bake for 20 – 25 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
Remove baked thighs.
Pass sauce through a fine sieve and drizzle over chicken.
Garnish with orange slices.
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