rivka

It's been a while since I've posted from the experimental food corner. I keep meaning to post my recipe for smoked gouda-stuffed hamburgers, for example, but their time has not yet come. I'm too excited by tonight's experiment.

A few weeks ago, I tried a side dish recipe from the New Joy of Cooking: carmelized sweet potatoes and apples. It was very, very good - intensely apple-y and not too sweet. I kept thinking that it would make a nice base for a one-pot supper. Tonight I gave it a try.

First, I fried up four slices of extremely thick-cut bacon in my biggest skillet. I put the bacon to drain on some paper towels and poured off all but a tablespoon or so of the grease. Then I browned about a pound of diced chicken in the remaining bacon grease.

When the chicken was just browned, I added three large sweet potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4" half-moons, and three gala apples, cored and cut into eighths but not peeled. I added a lump of butter (a little less than two tablespoons, I guess), about 1/3 cup of packed brown sugar, and 1/2 cup of water. Stirred everything around, covered it up, and let it cook down vigorously for about twenty minutes. The sweet potatoes and apples steamed, grew soft, and developed a rich golden-brown sheen. The chicken soaked up an intense apple flavor. The liquid boiled away into a light syrupy coating. Just before serving, I crumbled in the bacon. It added just the right touch of saltiness.

I wish I'd thought to take a picture of my plate before it was almost scoured clean.