Serves 8 to 10
Apricot Purée
1½ cups dried apricots
½ cup light brown sugar
1 sprig fresh thyme
Place all ingredients in a small saucepan with 1½ cups water and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce to a simmer and cook until reduced by half. Remove from heat, remove thyme stalk, and let cool. Once cooled, purée in a blender until smooth.
Chicken
2 whole chickens (3½ lbs each), each cut into 8 pieces
Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
4 Tbsp grapeseed oil
2 cups white wine
2 medium onions, chopped
½ bunch celery, chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 large parsnips, chopped
6 whole garlic cloves, peeled
1 sprig fresh thyme
2 cups dried apricots
1 cup raisins
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup Marcona almonds
Preheat oven to 350°F. Pat chicken pieces dry with paper towel and season with salt and pepper. In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, working in batches, sear the chicken, starting with the skin-side down, until browned on all sides, about 15 minutes per batch. Drain on paper towels.
Lower heat and deglaze the pan with wine, scraping the bottom of the pan to pick up all the crispy bits that have formed. Do not let all of the wine evaporate—only reduce the wine by half the amount. Add onion, celery, carrot, parsnip, and garlic, and cook for 5 minutes. Add the apricot purée, thyme, apricots, raisins, and stock, and stir to incorporate.
Layer the chicken back into the pan, nestling into the liquid, which should come about halfway up chicken pieces. Raise heat and bring back to a simmer. Cover and place in the oven for about 40 minutes, until the chicken registers 165°F in the breast and the thigh when tested with a meat thermometer. Garnish with Marcona almonds and serve immediately.
