Turkey Thighs Fruity Chuck. . . and the Aftermath

By Vickilane

This recipe was the invention of our cousin Charley some years ago. I made it repeatedly and then, as these things go, forgot about it. But with an abundance of peaches on hand, I dug it out of my cookbook and proceeded to adapt it to what else I had.

This is Charley's recipe (in his own hand -- he was the one who named the dish, not I):

Skin chicken (I used turkey thighs and didn't skin them) and marinate in lime juice, bourbon ( I used dark rum,) Tabasco (I used Sriracha,) 1 tablespoon cumin, lots of garlic powder (I used garlic salt,) 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard, 1 tablespoon dried oregano.  Marinate 30 minutes to an hour.

Marinate fresh peaches or apricots in rum or bourbon and sherry at least 45 minutes.

Layer sliced onions, chicken (or turkey thighs) and marinated fruit in a baking dish. Top with  a bit of apricot preserves (I used citrus marmalade and highly recommend this change.)


I baked it at 350 and it took over an hour -- the turkey thighs were huge. If you were using chicken thighs or breasts it would be much quicker. And even quicker if boneless.

I roasted some broccoli and onions tossed in olive oil and garlic salt with a dash of balsalmic vinegar as a side. There was also a salad of mixed greens with honey mustard dressing (of which, more later.)

I served the turkey on a bed of pearl couscous. This kind of couscous is new to me -- Claui fixed some recently and it's a major improvement over ordinary couscous, in my opinion. Sorry for the low quality of the pictures --taken quickly so our supper wouldn't grow cold.  I could never be a real food blogger.
But wait, there's more! As I said, the turkey thighs were huge. The next day I made a really nice salad with the leftovers.  I removed the meat from the bone, cut into chunks, added cut up fresh (uncooked) peaches and chopped red onion, and tossed with a honey mustard dressing concocted from mayo, plain yoghurt, Dijon mustard, dark wildflower honey, and a splash of balsalmic vinegar.  This atop mixed salad greens made a fine lunch. Thanks, Cousin Charley!