Recently, I had a swanky, little cocktail party and used lovely seasonal fruits for one of the centerpieces. I hate to admit it, but I went a little wild with the grapes…seedless green, red flame and gorgeous, gigantic black globe grapes…delicious and beautiful.
A few days and fruit flies later, peering into the fridge and faced with all these round balls of flavor, I recalled seeing a recipe for roast chicken and grapes. I thought, “What the heck, let’s give it a go!”. I searched Epicurious for a recipe…and found one which I adapted to suit a lovely supper for two…so here is my take on that delightful recipe…and, if you are serving 3 or 4 folks, I’d encourage you to try the original recipe from the website, as it uses a whole chicken!
Sorry there are no pictures for this really lovely looking plate, but we were hungry and couldn’t wait! This was a wonderful dinner, perfect for a crisp autumn night and I am seriously thinking of adapting this recipe for our Thanksgiving turkey dinner!
Spice Rubbed Chicken with Roasted Grapes and Shallots
Serves 2-3
Ingredients
2 large bone-in chicken breasts
2 chicken thighs
1 lb. assorted grapes, cut into small clusters
2 large shallots or 1 medium onion, halved and sliced thickly
1 tsp. fresh thyme leaves
4 fresh sage leaves, cut into ribbons al a chiffonnade
2 tbsp. olive oil
Spice blend:
1 tsp. ground cumin
½ tsp. white pepper
1 ½ tsp. kosher salt
¼ tsp. ground cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground ginger
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
Method
Preheat oven to 400*F.
Place grape clusters, shallots, and thyme in a roasting pan.
Drizzle with 1 tbsp. oil and gently toss to coat.
Arrange the grapes along the inner sides of the pan.
After rinsing and drying chicken pieces, place them in the center of the roasting pan.
Rub one half of the spice rub mixture onto the chicken skin, coating evenly.
Sprinkle the remaining spice mixture lightly, over the grapes and chicken.
Next, sprinkle the sage over the grapes and chicken.
Place the chicken on the center rack of the preheated oven for about 45 minutes, or until a meat thermometer reads 160* and the grapes are browned and somewhat shriveled.
Remove the chicken from the pan, along with one cluster of grapes and some shallots per serving.
Cover chicken with foil and set aside to rest for 5-10 minutes.
Gently mash the remaining grapes in the roasting pan, gently scraping up the brown roasting bits from the bottom of the pan.
Strain the juices into a gravy separator (or a small pitcher), reserving the grape and pan juices.
Discard the fat and grape pulp.
Taste and adjust for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if needed.
Serve the chicken with pan juices over a wild rice blend or brown rice, steamed haricot verts and sautéed mushrooms.
Wine recommendations:
Riesling: for a slightly sweet, fruit forward flavor, this wine will highlight the fruit and herbs in the dish
White Burgundy: for a medium yet sturdy bodied white that again is fruit forward with layers of spice and minerals, this pairing will evoke the most complex tasting.
Pinot Noir: for the red wine lovers, this choice enhances the “raisiny” quality of the roasted grapes, and marries well with the spice notes from the rub.
Bon appétit!
