Holiday Baked Chicken with Figs
and Honey Orange Sauce

This rich Baked Chicken with Figs recipe is one of the first meals I served in our apartment in Jerusalem. Fresh figs were in high season, presenting themselves on the vegetables stands of Machene Yehuda like summer jewels. Who could resist? The sauce is sweet and rich, making this a good dish for Rosh Hashanah if you can get your hands on that last crop of the year. If not, you'll have good results using dried figs as well.

12 pieces cut up chicken, about 5 pounds

3/4 cup honey

1 1/2 cup dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon red pepper

12 fresh figs, quartered

1 cup orange juice

Juice of one lemon

1. Preheat oven broiler. Place chicken in a single layer in a baking pan, skin side down. Broil chicken 5 minutes, turn and broil until skin begins to blacken, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven. Set oven to bake at 325 degrees.

2. In a saucepan, heat honey, wine and pepper over high heat. Bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes. Add figs, orange and lemon juices and simmer, uncovered for 15 minutes until figs begin to fall apart and the sauce is thickened.

3. Pour sauce over chicken. Bake, uncovered for one hour.