CRANBERRY CHICKEN

Ingredients

• Mumbai nut & spice mix
• 4-6 boneless chicken breasts
• olive oil
• 1½ cup fresh orange juice
• ¼ cup apple cider vinegar
• ¼ cup maple syrup
• ½ -1 cup chicken stock
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 4-6 sage leaves, fresh, chopped
• 1½-2 cups fresh cranberries, depending upon taste
• 1 cup half and half milk
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 bag noodles; wide egg noodles, fusilli, or other type of noodle

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 325°.
2. Season each side of the chicken breasts with a bit of salt & let them come to room temperature. Using a dutch oven or a heavy large pot with a lid, heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil on the stovetop and then add the chicken, letting it sit for a while so it browns nicely without being overworked. Turn the chicken breasts and brown the opposite side. Remove these breasts to a plate and brown the remaining pieces until all breasts are well browned on both sides. Add all chicken breasts back to the dutch oven.
3. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together orange juice, 1 tablespoon olive oil, cider vinegar, maple syrup, chicken stock, salt, chopped sage leaves, and 1 tablespoon of Mumbai nut & spice mix. Stir in the fresh cranberries then pour this mixture over the chicken breasts in the large pot. Cover with the lid and place in the oven to cook for 1 hour. After 1 hour, check the pot to make certain the chicken is fully cooked and tender.
4. When the chicken is tender and ready, remove the breasts from the pot and stir into the cranberry sauce, 2 tablespoons of butter and 1 cup of half and half milk. Stir the mixture until the butter is melted and the milk is well incorporated. Taste the sauce and adjust the seasonings, adding more salt if needed. Often I will add more chicken stock to make certain there is plenty of yummy sauce to coat the noodles and chicken when serving.
5. Add the chicken breasts back into the sauce and place the pot back into the oven for 10 more minutes.
6. While the chicken is in the oven, make the noodles, according to package directions, and keep them ready for serving. To serve, add noodles to the base of a shallow bowl or plate, top with a breast of chicken and ladle the sauce over the entire dish. Finish the dish with additional Mumbai nut & spice mix and fresh herbs or thinly sliced scallions.

Notes