Wandering through our best local produce stand a few weeks ago was almost overwhelming given the vast array of fruits that were lined up in their parking lot shipping crates.
The peak of the season’s berries were in (raspberries, blackberries and strawberries) as were the early apples and pears – more varieties than I’d ever seen in one place.
The sign over the ‘last of the season’ apricots caught my attention like the first rising fish you spy after walking upon a new pool on your favorite river.
Apricots pair so incredibly well with chicken and pork on the grill I almost felt a twang of guilt that apricot season was just about done and we hadn’t really used them much this summer.
I’d run across a recipe similar to this one a few months ago, though it lacked the fish sauce and suggested the use of the wrong peppers, after a few trials and tweaks we came up with this version.
These kabobs offer a Thai angle that’s unmistakably reminiscent of satay with the added punch of the grilled apricots (best if nice and firm to start with). Don’t forget to save some of the marinade for a flavor boosting drizzle when you pull these from the grill .
This is a great one.
1 cup plain Greek yogurt
1 and 1/4 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup fresh lime juice (yep, just squeeze it)
1 and 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk
1/4 cup brown sugar (packed)
1-2 tbsp. fish sauce
4 garlic cloves
1 and 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
1-3 serrano or thai chiles, stemmed, seeded and chopped
1/2 cup cilantro leaves2 lb. chicken breast (skinless), cut into 2 inch chunks
15-18 apricots, pitted and halvedLime wedges, cilantro sprigs and chopped, dry-roasted peanuts if you want to fancy things up
Blend the marinade / sauce. Combine the yogurt, peanut butter, lime juice, coconut milk, brown sugar, fish sauce and garlic cloves until well combined and smooth. Add the cilantro and peppers, pulse blend to roughly chop the greens (taste for heat and add another pepper if you need it).
Marinate. Set aside a generous cup of marinade in a covered container and refrigerate until time to eat. Marinade the cut chicken in the remaining mixture for at least 4 hours (overnight is better).
Kabob magic. Fire the grill. String your skewers alternating a chicken piece and apricot half. (We’ve come to favor a large, flat skewer for this sort of grilling, though a nifty presentation would be to use pairs of pre-soaked bamboo skewers for short kabobs. Using a pair of the bamboo skewers for each kabob makes them easier to turn…).
Grill time. Grill for 3 to 4 minutes per side; check your chicken – it may or may not need another couple of minutes. Keep an eye on these – they go quickly.
Serve ‘em up. Serve hot off the grill with a sprinkle of cilantro and chopped peanuts and a drizzle (or more) of the delicious reserved marinade / sauce. Don’t expect any leftovers.
Enjoy.
