For the last few months, I’ve been making jam at a dizzying speed. While I hot water process most of what I make for long term storage and gifting, my fridge is still full of jars of jam (mostly half empty ones that hold the overflow from each batch). I can only eat so much jam on toast or stirred into yogurt/oatmeal and so have been taking serious measures to get a handle on my multiplying jam supply.
One tactic I employ when faced with an abundance of jam, is to encorporate it into recipes. I make thumbprint cookies, glaze fruit tarts and fill baked goods. But what to do when you can’t stand another sweet treat? Use jam to spice up your main meal!
My mother has always been a devotee of the humble chicken leg and they appeared by the half dozen on our dinner table during my childhood at least once a week. She liked to bake them and would rotate through a handful of flavor enhancers, including teriyaki sauce, homemade honey mustard, good seasons italian dressing and thinned out jam.
Last night, I channeled her by warming up a few spoonfuls of yellow plum and ginger jam in the microwave and slathering it over two bone-in chicken breasts. Sprinkled with salt and roasted in a 400 degree oven for about 35-40 minutes, the main course took two minutes to prep and was delicious (there was enough leftover to top our lunch salads today as well!).
You can use just about any jam (although I find that strawberry is best reserved for toast and yogurt) as a glaze/marinade on savory items. I like plum, apricot and cherry best for chicken. A sweet/tart marmalade is nice on salmon. You could even fancy up a marinated and baked tofu with a sweet slick of fruit spread.
What’s your favorite way to use jams, jellies and preserves beyond breakfast?
yum! i’d like that chicken for dinner too!
Although I haven’t made jam from scratch yet (it’s a goal for this summer), I use preserves/jams in savory recipes as well. Last night I made pork cutlets with an onion “jam” made of caramelized onions, balsamic vinegar, and strawberry-apricot preserves.
When I bake bread, sometimes I put a head or two of garlic (wrapped in foil after it’s been drizzled with olive oil) in to roast, too.
Fresh bread + roasted garlic + peach/apricot jam is a tasty (and super easy) dinner. It’s also a great appetizer for company.
another idea for that leftover chicken on your salad- put a plop of the jam in a homemade vinagrette dressing. (measurements like “plop” are why my cooking is better than my baking). and another idea for leftover jam- make extra of whatever sweets (bar cookies are really easy) then drop them by whatever school/hospital/community center that you drive past- trust me, teachers and nurses are underpaid and would love homemade yummies as a show of support and volunteers anywhere deserve some sort of recognition! I usually leave my name/number to show that I’m not some crazy person, but have never had any complaints!
Glazed chicken wings! Equal parts lime juice, soy sauce and peach or apricot preserves. I bet marmalade would work nicely, too. They come out looking like this.
What’s that there on the side? Some kind of chard/beet mix?
Michele, those chicken wings sound divine!
We had sauteed beet greens and roasted beets (and broccoli) along side the chicken. Delicious!
thanks it’s my first glazing exspertment and i’m going to try jal/ apricot jam a friend gave me yesterday
Making chicken wings glazed with your apricot-rosemary jam and beets glazed/roasted the in the same pan! Apricot-Rosemary Jam Glazed Chicken Wings with Roasted Beets…easy, delicious and it sounds fancy too.
I bread chicken breasts with panko and unsweetened untoasted coconut (dredge in egg first), drizzle with butter then pan fry or bake. It freezes really well too – just re-heat in a hot oven straight from frozen.
Serve with tart apricot jam or preserves. DELICIOUS!
I’ve got a whole bunch of jars of cinnamon and plum jam that I made a while ago clogging up room in my fridge. I’m not a fan of the taste of it on toast and have been flummoxed as to what to do with it (I can’t seem to bring myself to just throw it out).
I’m totally going to try glazing some chicken with it now! Thanks for the suggestion!
I could have this recipe every dinner! HA! Looks delicious! I had enough with fried chicken and chicken barbecues!