Roasted Chicken and Red Onions with Cherry Relish
RECIPE FROM FLAVOUR: SAVOURING THE SEASONS
The rich tradition of incorporating fruit into savory dishes is deeply rooted in Asian, Middle Eastern and African cuisines. Moroccan lamb tagines are enriched with the sweet tang of apricots, while Indian curries are infused with mangos and spices. Thai cuisine features an array of dishes that simmer meat, poultry and fish in the creamy richness of coconut milk. Similarly, Turkish, Armenian, Greek, Lebanese and Syrian dishes are often adorned with pomegranates, succulent dates and preserved lemons.
In that same vein, this dish celebrates a salty, savory and sweet culinary marriage, creating a refreshing amalgam of flavors as succulent roast chicken sits on a bed of arugula and herbs, topped with a mouth-popping cherry relish.
Roasted Chicken and Red Onions with Cherry Relish
Ingredients
FOR THE CHERRY RELISH
- 8 ounces cherries, pitted
- ¼ cup chives, finely chopped
- ¼ cup green onions, finely chopped
- ¼ cup basil leaves, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons lemon vinaigrette
- ¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 4–5 grinds of black pepper
FOR THE CHICKEN
- 4 chicken thighs
- 4 chicken drumsticks
- 2 large or 3 medium red onions, peeled, halved and cut into wedges
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 tablespoon Herbes de Provence
- ½ teaspoon coarse sea salt
- 6–7 grinds black pepper
- 4 ounces arugula
- Small handful basil leaves
Instructions
- Combine all the relish ingredients in a small bowl. The relish can be made ahead of time and packed into mason jars. Keep it refrigerated.
- Heat oven to 400°F.
- Place the chicken pieces and red onions in a roasting dish large enough to hold them in one layer. They should fit snugly. Drizzle the olive oil over the chicken and turn the pieces once or twice to coat. Sprinkle the Herbes de Provence, salt and pepper over the dish.
- Roast for 50–60 minutes, until the chicken is golden brown.
- Place a handful of arugula and some basil leaves in the center of each plate. Center the chicken on top of the arugula, adding some of the pan juices and red onions. Serve with the cherry relish.
Nutrition
Pascale Beale
Chef, teacher and food writer, Pascale Beale, owner of Pascale’s Kitchen, grew up in an eccentric European family who cherish food, wine and the arts. She is the author of 10 Mediterranean-style cookbooks, including the best sellers Salade and Salade II. Her food memoir, 9’ x 12’: Adventures in a Small Kitchen, a multi-media book, is hosted on Substack. Her latest cookbook is Flavour: Savouring the Seasons.
