I needed to find a traditional chicken recipe for my Australian meal, as one of my guests does not eat red meat, and Apricot chicken fit the bill well. I don't know the history of this recipe in Australia, but I found many versions of it in many different Australian recipe websites, leading me to conclude that Australians are fond of this dish.

The recipe here seemed to be a pretty standard one; others include French onion soup mix but I prefer to use as many unprocessed ingredients as possible. The recipe was easy to make and was pretty tasty. It also reheated well the next day. I served it with rice, which very nicely absorved the sauce.

It wasn't, however, a show stopper and I don't think I'd make it again. It reminded me too much of my favorite Moroccan Apricot Tagine recipe, which is more difficult to make but is absolutely delicious - so if I was in the mood for chicken and apricots again, I'd probably go with my Moroccan recipe.

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Apricot Chicken

Ingredients

3 lbs. chicken pieces

2 yellow onions, chopped

2oz butter

1 tbsp. corn starch

16 oz. apricot nectar

1/4 lb. dried apricots (halved)

Salt and pepper to taste

1 small green pepper, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

Instructions

Melt butter in a large frying pan. Brown chicken pieces on both sides. Remove chicken from pan and set aside. Fry onion in the pan until golden brown.

Add cornstarch to apricot nectar and mix well. Add to onions. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and add dried apricots. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Return chicken to the pan. Cover well and simmer until the chicken is done. Uncover and add green pepper. Cook for 5 minutes. Add sour cream and mix well. Simmer uncovered for a few minutes. Serve with rice.

Adapted from an International Woman recipe