Chicken With Peaches

For a decidedly different meal, this is quite good. This recipe is from Craig Claiborne's New York Times Cookbook; I made some minor changes in how the sauce was made. I served it over a bed of rice, because I felt that it should have a nice, bland background. Served with a green salad, this was a perfect meal for a cold winter's night!

CHICKEN WITH PEACHES

1 Chicken, cut into pieces (I just bought pieces)
1/4 cup butter
1 tsp. paprika
1 tsp lemon juice
salt & pepper to taste.

Melt butter; add paprika, salt, pepper & lime juice, and pour over chicken in a roasting pan. Put the chicken in the oven at 375 for about 30 to 45 minutes, or until nearly done (depending upon the size of your pieces). Then, prepare the sauce:

1/4 cup butter
1 minced onion
1 pound peach slices (fresh or frozen)
3 tbsp lemon muice
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup flour

Melt the butter in a sauce pan. Saute onion until golden. Scoop out of the butter, and into a separate dish. Pour 1 tbsp. lemon juice over the onion and set aside. Add the peaches to the butter, and saute until lightly browned. Add the onion back to the pan, and stir in the lime and balance of the lemon juice. Strain the pan drippings from the chicken, and skim off the fat. Add to the peaches, heat to a low boil, and add the water & flour whisked together. Stir together until thickened, pour over the chicken, and return to the oven for 5 to 10 minutes, or until the chicken is done. Serve over a bed of rice.

I used frozen peaches, since they aren't in season in the dead of winter. Actually, I've noticed that while frozen fruit has poor flavor and texture, when it's cooked, the flavor is greatly enhanced. While I'm not a fan of instant foods, I like to use frozen foods. I have 2 big freezers, and it's a darn sight better than having to race off to the store every day for some fresh thing or other (and since I'm rarely out, I can't just "stop by" on my way home). And after snow, rain and ice yesterday, which was better than the foot of snow a business acquaintance in Rochester, NY got, I was ready for a taste of warm weather; fruit and chicken filled that bill nicely.