Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs

Cooking with fruit in season is cheap, just like this Chintzy Chef ! I went to my local Latin market (Superior Grocers) and they had a huge bin of peaches for 69 cents per pound - I left with a bag full.

They had a nice color although the flesh was not ripe. But they are good enough to cook with, after letting them ripen for a couple of days. Normally you want to eat a ripe peach that's soft to the touch, but a firm peach is fine for my  Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs.

It's like when you make an apple pie, you want to bake with firm apple slices, so it doesn't turn to complete mush after baking. Of course, you can use a ripe peach for my recipe, I just didn't want to wait a week before digging into this dish.

My latest cheap$kate entree is loaded with taste. From sweet roasted peaches, to tender and moist chicken. I even add extra flavor with a splash of white wine and a sprinkle of herbs. You can use any favorite broth or fruit juice instead of white wine.

 (And this is a versatile recipe, so go ahead and leave out the herbs if you don't have them on hand, or just want to strip my recipe down to basics - it will taste just as good.)

I used 2 whole peaches and 2 chicken leg quarters, that is, 2 chicken thighs and 2 legs. I cut thick slices of peach, so you get meaty bites. And I found a great deal on boneless and skinless chicken, at 88 cents per pound! Well, you know I now have a freezer full of inexpensive poultry.

I like these kind of recipes, because there is so little work or preparation. Just slice a peach and add the chicken and fruit to a baking dish. Finally add a little liquid and seasoning, then start roasting and walk away for about an hour - couldn't be simpler. One pot entrees are the best.

A sweet nectar of white wine, chicken and peach juices are released when roasting that you will want to spoon-over a dry side dish like: rice, pasta, couscous, or quinoa.

My Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs is a delicious confluence of flavors and ingredients, mixing and complementing each other. Once you try my fruity entree, you'll definitely make it again....and again.

Roast Chicken with Peaches & Herbs - Video

Play it here, video runs 2 minutes.

My YouTube video link for viewing or embedding, just click here.

Ingredients (2 servings)

• 2 chicken leg quarters - okay to use any chicken pieces you like or find on sale. I used skinless and boneless, that is 2 thighs and 2 legs total.
• 2 peaches - I used firm peaches. Depending how large, it got 6 slice/wedges per peach. I like to keep the slices thick at the wide end. You can use other fruit like sliced apples or whole grapes.
• 1/4 cup of white wine - okay to use a favorite broth, apple or orange juice, or just add water.
• Herbs - about a teaspoon fresh chopped. I have a herb garden, so I used a mix of basil, oregano and parsley. You can also use favorite dried herbs or mix of herbs, like an Italian Mix. For dried herbs use only half of a teaspoon, total. (This recipe tastes good without herbs, too.)
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Directions
Usually I will leave skin on and bone in the chicken pieces for this recipe. You can use skinless and boneless leg quarters or white meat fillets. (Reduce cooking time by 10 minutes or so, as boneless chicken will cook faster.)

Add wine (broth or water) and herbs. A little bit of liquid helps steam the peaches. It will cook away and replaced by chicken juices. If you are cooking breast meat then you may want a 1/2 cup of liquid to help keep the breast from drying out.

Add the chopped or dried herbs. Salt and pepper the chicken.

Wash and slice 2 peaches. I got 6 wedges per peach. I picked a firm peach. It will soften and sweeten when roasted. But ripe peaches will taste fine, they will just be more mushy.

Arrange the peach slices under, on top, and around the chicken pieces. That way you get different textures with the peaches. In the liquid they will be softer and will be flavored with the chicken juices and wine - while on top, they will brown more and stay somewhat firm.

Roast chicken uncovered, until done, about 45 minutes to an hour at 375 degrees. Depending how large the chicken pieces are, especially breast meat, you will want to check for doneness. Just pierce or slice into the thickest part of chicken with a knife. Juices will run clear when cooked through. If you are cooking with boneless chicken then reduce the time by 10 minutes, or so.

I roast the chicken uncovered so the skin gets brown and crackly, and some of the peaches caramelize.

And save some of juice to add to the plate, especially if you have something that sops up the sweet peach/chicken broth.

And for the fun of it here's the soul music couple Peaches & Herb singing "Reunited."