Chicken with Prunes and Chiles

By Florence Fabricant

Chicken with Prunes and Chiles
Meredith Heuer for The New York Times
Total Time
1 hour
Rating
4(92)
Notes
Read community notes

Start with a chicken, cut up and ready to sauté, and it’s easy to follow many routes to a finished dish. Here the meat is bathed in a sauce with a musky, chile-fueled bite that is made to behave by plump, sweet prunes. But the dish could also use a vehicle for its abundant, complex sauce. Mashed white or sweet potatoes, soft polenta, tender white beans or plain steamed rice would all be suitable choices.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 2dried ancho chiles
  • 1tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1chicken, cut in 10 pieces, backbone and wingtips removed
  • Salt and ground black pepper
  • 1small red onion, chopped
  • 2large cloves garlic, sliced thin
  • 1½teaspoons ground cumin
  • ¾cup chicken stock
  • ¼cup fino sherry
  • 1tablespoon red miso
  • 16pitted prunes
  • 2tablespoons Pedro Ximenez vinegar, or other sweet vinegar
  • 1tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

822 calories; 51 grams fat; 14 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 22 grams monounsaturated fat; 11 grams polyunsaturated fat; 30 grams carbohydrates; 5 grams dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 60 grams protein; 1081 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Place chiles in a small bowl, cover with boiling water and set aside. Heat oil in a large sauté pan. Dry chicken and dust pieces with salt and pepper. Sear on medium-high heat until browned on both sides, removing pieces to a platter when done. Reduce heat to low.

  2. Step 2

    Add onion and garlic and sauté until soft. Dust with cumin, stir, and then add stock and sherry. Combine, scraping residue from the bottom of the pan, and stir in miso. Remove from heat.

  3. Step 3

    Drain chiles, cut in half and remove seeds and cores. Chop chiles and add to sauce along with prunes. Stir.

  4. Step 4

    Return chicken and any chicken juices to pan, basting with sauce. Cover and simmer on low 20 minutes, basting once more, until chicken is thoroughly cooked. Remove meat to a serving dish. Add vinegar to pan, bring to a simmer and stir. Add salt if needed, and a little water, if sauce has reduced too much. Spoon sauce and prunes over chicken. Scatter cilantro on top and serve.

Ratings

4 out of 5
92 user ratings
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Cooking Notes

Katherine

Cooked as directed, with a few substitutions: balsamic vinegar instead of Pedro Ximenez, and bone-in chicken thighs instead of a whole cut-up chicken. And I made it in the morning, then reheated it for dinner, thus giving the flavors a chance to meld. Delectable!

Henry

I agreed with Rosie about the dish lacking herb notes to help balance the acidity. I found that adding thyme helped.

Rosie

I did my best with the ingredients at hand which meant no red miso or cilantro leaves, medium sherry instead of fino, and balsamic vinegar. I found the dish interesting, but not really worth making again soon because it was a bit too sweet and lacked underlying herb notes to support all the sugar. I was able to use the leftovers (without the prunes) inside some homemade ravioli/pierogies that I served with chicken broth made from the bones. Maybe the flavors improved overnight.

Tom

Fantastic recipe. Added the thyme that others suggested, subbed balsamic vinegar, white miso, and dry sherry. I also immersion blended the sauce together a bit for a picky eater who didn’t like the bite consistency of prunes. Without the subs and blending I’m sure it would’ve been even better!

D K

I made the recipe precisely as directed for a Pinot Noir dinner, except I used chicken thighs. I feared it might be too sweet with the prunes, but was extremely pleased with the results. The anchos and red miso counteract the sweetness of the prunes and the dish comes together with a real depth of complex flavors, that paired beautifully with a range of Pinots. This is going into my favorites rotation.

Golem18

Sounds like boiled chicken. Skin would be greasy, not crisp. The sauce in combination of chiles and prunes would work, but I'd like to see a better texture for the recipe. I'll pass.

Paula J.

I am not familiar with Pedro Ximenez vinegar, or with the concept of a sweet vinegar. Would balsamic vinegar (Bartenura) or rice vinegar (T.J.'s) be reasonable substitutes? Thanks.

Rosie

I did my best with the ingredients at hand which meant no red miso or cilantro leaves, medium sherry instead of fino, and balsamic vinegar. I found the dish interesting, but not really worth making again soon because it was a bit too sweet and lacked underlying herb notes to support all the sugar. I was able to use the leftovers (without the prunes) inside some homemade ravioli/pierogies that I served with chicken broth made from the bones. Maybe the flavors improved overnight.

Henry

I agreed with Rosie about the dish lacking herb notes to help balance the acidity. I found that adding thyme helped.

Katherine

Cooked as directed, with a few substitutions: balsamic vinegar instead of Pedro Ximenez, and bone-in chicken thighs instead of a whole cut-up chicken. And I made it in the morning, then reheated it for dinner, thus giving the flavors a chance to meld. Delectable!

Andrew Nelson

Plan to cook this tonight. Anyone have thoughts on a wine accompaniment?

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