And the Plum Recipe Winner Is…

I want to thank each and every one of you who sent in a plum recipe either by commenting on the blog, sending me an e-mail, dropping it off at the shop, or even sending it by mail. You all rock! It was so much fun to look through each and every one. Each sounds amazing and we could make plum recipes for quite some time. And we will. Please know I think each was a winner but I did choose one that just jumped off the page at me. Mary Kuster, your ‘Chicken Baked with Plums & Olives’ just spoke to me. Congrats! Please look for a Watson Kennedy goody box coming your way. What struck me the most about this recipe was the ease and that it could be made for a simple dinner for 2, or be quite stylish for a large dinner party. I made it last night at WestWard for just the 2 of us, and it was sublime.

One 3.5 to 4 Pound Chicken cut into 8 pieces
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
8-10 ripe Italian prunes, or other backyard plums, halved & pitted
¾ cup pitted Manzanilla or other green Spanish-style olives
1 Tablespoon chopped garlic
1 cup dry white wine such as chardonnay or sauvignon blanc

1) Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2) Sprinkle the chicken pieces with the salt & pepper and arrange the pieces, skin side up in a single layer in a 2-quart, nonreactive (glass or ceramic) baking dish.
3) Tuck plum halves in & around the chicken pieces and scatter the olives and garlic over the chicken and plums. Pour the wine over all.
4) Bake until pieces are well-browned on top and an instant-read thermometer, inserted into the thickest piece of chicken, registers 165 degrees, about 40 minutes. May take longer depending on your oven.
5) Use a spatula or a slotted spoon to hold the chicken pieces in the pan while you pour most of the juices into a saucepan. Boil the pan juices over high heat, stirring from time to time until the juices are slightly thickened, about 5 minutes. Distribute the chicken between serving plates and ladle on the reduced pan juices.

I served it over egg noodles, but it would be fab with rice or potatoes. The plums creating a sweet & tangy sauce, with the saltiness of the olives. Just perfect with the chicken. Sooooo good. Thank you Mary!

A lovely Labor Day to you all. From Colvos Passage on Vashon Island, Ted