Favorite recipes with apricots

MICHELE ANNA JORDAN
FOR THE PRESS DEMOCRAT

Apricots have one of the shortest seasons of all fruit grown in California. The first appear at our farmers markets sometime in late May and the last may linger, if we are lucky, through the beginning of July. One of the last to ripen is the beloved Blenheim, known for the intensity of its apricot flavor. We should be able to enjoy them for another week or two, at the most.

I have a hard time getting apricots home. They beckon to me from my shopping bags and so I've taken to putting them in the trunk of my car so that I can't devour them before they reach my kitchen, which has happened more times than I can count.

In some years, apricots are so good that I'll buy a box or two and make preserves - usually, apricot chutney but sometimes jam or butter - as well as enjoy them in several of my favorite recipes. Today's recipes are among my current favorite ways to enjoy one of the most sensual of summer's fruits.

For apricot recipes from Seasonal Pantry's archives, including for apricot chutney, visit Eat This Now at blogs.pantry.pressdemocrat.com.

Chicken and apricots are happy companions. They are delicious together and both welcome similar spices and herbs. Here, I combine black and white peppercorns with ginger and garlic, a blend that is remarkably delicious with both the chicken and the fruit. Serve neat or over a bed of steamed couscous.

Grilled Chicken with Black Pepper, Ginger & Fresh Apricots

Makes 4servings

1 large pastured chicken, cut in pieces, or 4 leg-thigh pieces of pastured chicken

3 tablespoons black peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1 tablespoon white peppercorns, coarsely crushed

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger

1 teaspoon red pepper flakes, optional

-Kosher salt

1/3 cup balsamic vinegar

? cup olive oil

8 to 12 ripe apricots, halved, stones removed

-Minced cilantro and cilantro sprigs, for garnish

Rinse the chicken under cool running water and pat dry with a clean tea towel.

Set the chicken in a single layer in a glass baking dish and set aside briefly.

Put the peppercorns into a small bowl, add the garlic, ginger and red pepper flakes, if using, and season generously with kosher salt. Stir in the balsamic vinegar, taste and correct for salt. Add the olive oil.

Set aside 2 tablespoons of the mixture and massage the rest into the chicken. Cover the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight. Turn the chicken now and then to be certain it remains coated with the marinade.

To cook the chicken, prepare a fire in a charcoal grill. When the fire is ready, set the rack about 5 inches from the fire and cook the chicken, skin side up, for about 15 minutes. Turn and cook about 10 to 15 minutes more, until the juices run clear; rotate the chicken once or twice to mark it nicely.

Transfer the chicken to a warm platter and cover loosely with a sheet of aluminum foil.

Set the apricots on the grill, cut side down, and cook for 3 minutes. Turn, brush with some of the remaining marinade and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes more. Transfer the apricots to the platter with the chicken and brush them with the remaining marinade.

Sprinkle with cilantro, garnish with cilantro sprigs and serve immediately.

Shrubs, a kind of beverage, were popular in Colonial times, when they were used to preserve excess fruit. The technique is perfect for overripe fruit like apricots that can go from perfect to past their prime in a matter of hours. When you use tree-ripened fruit, you may need less sugar than the equal parts that traditional recipes calls for. Be sure to taste and if, after adding the vinegar, you find the shrub is too tart, sweet it with a bit of simple syrup.

Apricot Shrub

Makes about 1 quart

4 cups sliced fresh apricots, from about 2 to 2? pounds of fruit

1 to 2 cups sugar, plus more to taste

1 tablespoon grated ginger, optional

2 cups apple cider vinegar, preferably organic

Put the apricots in a large glass container, add 1 cup of the sugar and, if using, the ginger and crush together lightly with wooden pestle, wooden spoon or vegetable masher. Taste and add more sugar until to achieve your desired level of sweetness. Cover and refrigerate for 2 to 3 days.

Remove from the refrigerator and stir in the vinegar. Let rest for about 15 minutes and then strain through a fine sieve into a clean quart jar.

Chill thoroughly.

Serve neat over ice or use as a base for cocktails. Equal amounts of shrub and sparkling wine make an excellent summer quaffer.

Here is one of my favorite summer dishes that is at once sweet, brightly acidic and spicy. It is lovely on a hot night with something cool to drink alongside.

Sauteed Apricots & Chorizo with Couscous, Harissa and Yogurt

Makes 4 to 6 servings

3 tablespoons homemade harissa paste (see Note below)

? cup freshly squeeze lemon juice

- Kosher salt

3 tablespoons fresh minced cilantro

1 cup couscous

3 tablespoons butter or olive oil

8 apricots, stones removed, in quarters

1 pound Spanish-style chorizo, preferably from Franco Dunn, cooked and cut into ?-inch diagonal slices

? cup whole milk yogurt, preferably Bellwether Sheep Milk Yogurt or Straus Whole Milk Yogurt

-Lemon wedges, for garnish

First, make the harissa, put it into a small bowl, stir in the lemon juice and thin with 2 to 3 tablespoons warm water. Taste, correct for salt and stir in the cilantro. Set aside.

Put the couscous in a medium bowl and pour ? cup of water over it. Let sit until all the water is absorbed, about 10 minutes. Put the couscous in a colander or strainer with small enough holes to contain it; set the colander or strainer in a pot filled with about 3 inches of water. Wrap a damp towel around the space between the colander and the pot and set over high heat, uncovered for 10 minutes, until steam is rising from the couscous.

Remove the couscous from the heat, set the colander on a work surface, and drizzle 1 cup of water over the couscous, raking it with a fork all the while. Return the colander to the pot and steam again, until the couscous is about 3 times its original size.

While the couscous steams, saute the apricots. To do so, put the butter or olive oil into a heavy saute pan set over medium heat. Add the apricots and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. Turn and saute for 2 to 3 minutes more, until the apricots have taken on a bit of color. Set aside.

Transfer the couscous to a warmed serving bowl. Add the chorizo and all but a few of the apricots and toss very gently. Drizzle with all but a tablespoon or so of the harissa and toss again.

Top the couscous with the reserved apricots and drizzle with the remaining harissa. Spoon a little yogurt on top, garnish with lemon wedges and serve immediately, with the remaining yogurt alongside.

Note: To make harissa paste, toast 1? ounces dried ancho chiles in a dry cast iron skillet until they puff up. Cool, remove the steam and seed cores and scrape the meat from their skins. Combine with 1 tablespoon of toasted and crushed cumin, 2 teaspoons crushed coriander seeds, 1 teaspoon crushed caraway seeds and 6 crushed garlic cloves. Season generously with salt and stir in ? cup olive oil. Store in a jar in the refrigerator for a week or two.

Michele Anna Jordan hosts "Mouthful" each Sunday at 7 p.m. on KRCB 90.9 & 91.1 FM. E-mail Jordan at michele@micheleannajordan.com. You'll find her blog, "Eat This Now," at pantry.blogs.pressdemocrat.com

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