Savory Apricot Recipes

[Dommy]

As noted in a previous post, I have a TON of apricots in my fridge I want to experiment with. So far, I've made a pie and soon will make a cake and PetraDish's Fruit Dumplings :) But I wanted to something savory with it.

I did a search on Epicurious and Food Tv and anothing really caught my eye. There a couple of lamb dishes, but I'm not a big fan of Lamb. I know I once heard a recipe for Peach Chicken, but so far all the ones I'm finding use dried or peach preserves.

Anyway, if anyone has any ideas or recipes, please post!! :)

--Dommy!

[xtal]

You can cut the apricots in half, pit them, and toss them in a mixture of olive oil with a dash of lime juice. Season with pepper and salt, and place a small square of blue cheese in the pit hole. Broil for 2 minutes, and you have a nice savoury appetizer.

[jsaimd]

We had a ton of apricots from our CSA, so I made a apricot sauce for chx. Carmelized some onions, cooked down some apricots (like I do tomatoes for a quick sauce), toasted some cumin and cinnamon to put in there, and finished it off with a touch of pomogranate syrup and honey. Also added some pistachios (because that is what we had in the house), but I think I would like it with almonds even better. Turned out nicely and would be good on pork too.

[Katie Nell]

I've posted this recipe before, and if you end up drying some apricots, I love this pork tenderloin recipe!

I usually use fresh herbs and have even used sage before.

Apricot-Stuffed Pork Tenderloin

1⁄2 cup dried apricots, chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
3 tablespoons butter, plus additional as needed
1-1/2 cups soft white bread crumbs
1 teaspoon dried parsley
1⁄4 teaspoon salt
1⁄4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 pork tenderloins (approximately 3⁄4 pound each)
Ground black pepper to taste

Preheat the over to 325 degrees. Cover the apricots with cold water and heat until boiling. Cover and reduce the heat. Simmer until tender 5-10 minutes. Drain.

Sauté the onion in 3 tablespoons butter until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the crumbs, parsley, salt, and thyme. Toss lightly to combine; mix in the cooled apricots.

Slit the tenderloins lengthwise, not quite through. Lay the tenderloins flat and spread one with half the apricot mixture. Roll lengthwise, jellyroll fashion. Tie to secure. Place on rack in small pan and spread with butter or margarine. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Bake for 1 to 1-1/4 hours, basting occasionally. Garnish with sliced crabapples and watercress or parsley.

[heidipie]

Mishmisheya is an Iraqi stew of lamb or meatballs and dried apricots. What a great name, huh? "Mishmish" is Arabic for apricot. It's easy and tasty. I'm sure it would be fine with fresh apricots, although you'd have to make sure to get the sweet-tart balance right. Have your lemon juice handy.

Recipe(s) summarized from "The Book of Jewish Food" and "The Best of Baghdad Cooking" and adapted for fresh apricots:

1 large onion, chopped
3 T vegetable oil
1 pound ground beef or lamb, or a combination
up to 1/2 cup lemon juice, to taste
1/4 t ground cloves
1/2 t turmeric
3 T tomato paste
salt and pepper
3 cups pitted and chopped apricots
up to 1 T sugar

--make walnut-sized meatballs from ground beef or lamb seasoned with salt, pepper, a little of the lemon juice (a teaspoon for a pound of meat) and ground cloves.

--Brown the chopped onion on medium-high heat in the oil, salting lightly so they really cook down, then add the meatballs and brown them well.

--Add the turmeric and stir for a minute, then add the tomato paste, apricots, and a cup or so of water. Turn it down to a simmer and let it go for 20 minutes.

--Add salt and pepper, then tinker with the lemon juice and sugar until you like it. Simmer another ten minutes or so until the flavors blend and the sauce is a consistency you like.

--Serve with plain rice.

Let me know if you try it!

[Dommy]

Wow... sounds wonderful! Thank you, I'll be sure to report back if I can stretch out my Apricots!! I'm so glad I finally have a weekend to cook with... (It's felt like it's been MONTHS...)

--Dommy!

[chitta chef]

Last year I made a wonderful vinaigrette for a smokey, chipotle-based marinated grilled chicken. I roasted some apricots and pureed them with blanched basil leaves, honey, serrano chili, champagne vinegar, a lighter olive oil, salt and pepper - wonderful. I don't have any meausurements - just tasted as I went.

[pizzapazza]

How about a wild rice salad (or couscous, or bulghur, or the grain-of-your-choice) with scallions, chopped red bell pepper, herbs galore, scallions, nuts, oil, and lemon/vinegar.

Or apricot raita: yogurt, cumin, salt, cayenne pepper, diced tomatoes, apricots.

Or chilled apricot soup (I imagine by substituting out melon from your favorite fruit soup recipe.)

Or chopping some apricots into traditional gazpacho.

Or roasting a chicken with whole peeled shallots, halved apricots, sprigs of fresh thyme, and a little white wine in the bottom of the roasting pan, then deglazing with a bit of stock, maybe a drop of sherry vinegar (might also work with a pork loin.)

Or grilling a few apricots alongside pork chops.

Or making apricot barbeque sauce/ketchup.

Or crostini with goat cheese and lightly roasted apricot slices drizzled with balsamic syrup.

Or chicken salad with diced apricots instead of grapes or other fruit.

Or stuffing pitted and halved apricots with Indian-spiced ground lamb (could be good with the raita I mentioned above.)

Or apricot "carpaccio": paper thin slices of apricot with lightly dressed arugula and parmesan shavings.

Or apricot slices with prosciutto (a riff on the classic prosciutto and melon antipasto).

[Dommy]

Thanks! I love the idea of Chicken Salad with Apricots in it... perfect for summer and we have a huge half chicken breast to use up! Thanks! :)

Keep em coming! :)

--Dommy!

[cheryl_h]

How about apricot chutney? I make this with dried apricots but if your fresh ones have good flavor they should make delicious chutney which can be eaten with all kinds of meats.