Stuffed Apricot-Glazed Chicken Thighs

I've been sitting on this recipe for 10 years, and never wanted to make it because it looked complicated and time consuming.  Oh Emeril, why must you make food that looks delicious but has such a long ingredient list?  Plus, the last thing I wanted to do was de-bone a bunch of chicken quarters.  But when it was proposed that I just stuff the filling into regular bone-in chicken quarters, I gave it a shot.  And it was awesome.  Didn't hurt that I had help making the stuffing either, which was good enough that it could be eaten almost as its own meal.

The stuffed quarters, just before serving

Sausage and Rice-Stuffed Dark Chicken Quarters with Apricot Glaze
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2002

• 3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1/4 pound sweet Italian sausage, removed from casings
• 1/4 cup finely chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped carrots
• 2 tablespoons finely chopped celery
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon minced orange zest
• 1/2 cup long-grain white rice
• 1/4 cup golden raisins
• 2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
• 1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
• 1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 cups apricot jam
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1 cup fresh orange juice
• 8 boned (except for the knuckle or joint at the bottom of the drumstick) dark chicken quarters, the thigh and the drumstick all in 1 piece
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper

In a saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the sausage and cook, breaking it up with a spoon, until browned, about 5 minutes. Add the onions, carrots, and celery and cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and 1/2 teaspoon of orange zest and stir until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir until it turns opaque, about 3 minutes. Stir in the raisins, almonds, parsley, thyme, cinnamon, and salt. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce the heat to low, cover and cook until the rice is tender and the liquid is absorbed, about 20 minutes. Remove the rice from the heat and let sit for 10 minutes. Fluff with a fork and spread on a baking sheet to cool.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees F.
 

Meanwhile, in a saucepan make the glaze by combining the jam, remaining 1/2 teaspoon orange zest, sugar, and orange juice. Whisk to combine and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until reduced by half, 8 to 10 minutes. You can test when this is done by dipping in a wooden spoon, holding it vertically, and running your finger across the glaze.  If it doesn't drip down across where you dragged your finger, it's thick enough.  If it's still runny, reduce it some more.  Set aside to cool.

The apricot jam before it became a glaze.

Stuff a good 3-4 tablespoons into each cavity and seal with a few skewers

Season the chicken legs lightly with salt and pepper. Place on a baking sheet and divide the stuffing between the legs, about 1/4 to 1/3 cup each. Be careful not to tear the skin, or to leave stuffing hanging out on the baking sheet.  Pull the skin up around the filling and secure shut with a toothpick (I used trussing needles).

Because these were bone-in, I partially cooked them for a while, then applied the sugar glaze to prevent even more burning than I ended up with

If you went to the trouble to de-bone the chicken, you can apply the glaze and cook directly - the sugars won't burn for the short time that this is in the oven.  Coat with the apricot glaze and bake until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 25 to 30 minutes, re-applying the glaze twice. If, however, you used bone-in chicken, you have to add about 20 minutes of cooking time to this.  So bake without the glaze for 20 minutes, then remove from oven and apply the glaze, then bake for another 25 to 30 minutes, re-applying the glaze as above.  Remove from the oven and serve immediately.