The Aussie Gourmet: Tsimmes Chicken

The Jewish Home | SEPTEMBER 15, 2022 In The K tchen Simanim Chicken

By Naomi Nachman

For the first evening meal of Rosh Hashana, I am serving a variety of dishes – each featuring one of the simanim (i.e., symbolic foods that one eats on Rosh Hashana which we hope will bring about a prosperous and healthy new year). This chicken recipe is a combo of the traditional tzimmus, which includes chicken, carrots, honey and dates (all of which are simanim), making it a perfect simanim dish to serve on Rosh Hashana.

Ingredients

Carrot mixture

◦ 2 tablespoons canola oil ◦ 2 medium onions, sliced into ½ moon rings ◦ 2 teaspoons kosher salt, divided ◦ 3 10 oz. bags shredded carrots ◦ 1 teaspoon cumin ◦ ½ teaspoon cinnamon ◦ 1 ½ cups dried dates pitted and quartered ◦ 2 cups white wine ◦ 1/3 cup honey ◦ 8 pieces chicken leg quarters

Chicken Spices

◦ Cumin

◦ Smoked paprika ◦ Garlic powder ◦ Honey ◦ Olive oil

◦ Kosher salt

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°F. Prepare two 9x13 pans and set aside

In a sauté pan on medium heat, add oil until it gets hot, then add onions and cook until they are translucent. Add 1 teaspoon kosher salt followed by the carrots.

Sautee the carrots and onions for several minutes on low until carrots are soft. Add in the dates, wine and honey. Mix well and cover and let simmer on low for 10 minutes. This process will plump up the dates and release their flavor.

After 10 minutes, divide the carrot mixture into the 2 prepared pans.

Place 4 pieces of chicken per pan and season with spices.

Rub with small amount of oil and drizzle with honey, smearing all over each piece of chicken. Cover each pan with foil and bake for 40 minutes. After 40 minutes, baste the chicken and finish cooking for another 30 minutes uncovered.

Naomi Nachman, the owner of The Aussie Gourmet, caters weekly and Shabbat/ Yom Tov meals for families and individuals within The Five Towns and neighboring communities, with a specialty in Pesach catering. Naomi is a contributing editor to this paper and also produces and hosts her own weekly radio show on the Nachum Segal Network stream called “A Table for Two with Naomi Nachman.” Naomi gives cooking presentations for organizations and private groups throughout the New York/New Jersey Metropolitan area. In addition, Naomi has been a guest host on the QVC TV network and has been featured in cookbooks, magazines as well as other media covering topics related to cuisine preparation and personal chefs. To obtain additional recipes, join The Aussie Gourmet on Facebook or visit Naomi’s blog. Naomi can be reached through her website, www.theaussiegourmet.com or at (516) 295-9669.