Recent phone conversation with Mamsterdam (slightly embellished for the sake of entertainment):
M: Did you cook anything today?
G: I did. Lately I've seen a bunch of recipes combining chicken with something hot and spicy and something sweet, usually fruit preserves.
M: Okay...
G: So I took my chicken pieces, smothered them with copious amounts of cumin and chili powder (as I'm wont to do), and browned them a bit in the skillet. Then I added some hot salsa (mild salsa is absolutely useless to me and I laugh at the idea of it) and--brace yourself--apricot preserves.
M: Apricot preserves and salsa?
G: Yes.
M: Apricot preserves. With salsa.
G: Yes.
M: And you enjoyed it? You enjoyed this mixture of apricot preserves and salsa?
G: Yes.
M (sighing): Where did I go wrong in raising you?
Oh Mammicus. I'll have you know that I really liked this particular melange of flavors. It was ridiculously hot (I wouldn't have it any other way) thanks to the salsa and chili powder, but the heat was tempered by the super-sweet apricot preserves. Like Mamby-Pamby, I had my doubts at first, but it turned out to be a really great meal!
Moral of the story: Sneer not at unusual ingredient combinations.
I get the same reaction when I have jam and cheddar cheese on bagels. I believe you that it would work, sort of on a sweet and sour kind of basis. I'm sure that whoever invented that encountered resistance-until people tried it!
ReplyDeleteAs far as I am concerned if it tastes good that is what matters. This is how great recipes are created. This recipe Grace looks very tasty indeed I for one would love a bite. :-)
ReplyDeleteWe eat cheese and jam sandwiches here too like lorraine, normally strawberry jam and cheshire cheese. :-D
This actually sounds pretty tasty (although I don't think I could handle it as hot as you)! I bet it would be good served with rice to soak up all of that yummy sauce....Mmmm.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree, see I think salsa and apricot preserves sounds like the perfect combo.
ReplyDeleteYou've actually got me thinkin' about what jam is in the fridge now...orange marmalade and soy sauce in the wok...hmmmm
It would be like sweet and sour chicken...I see no harm in that..wink...
ReplyDeleteTry my nanna bread..it will blow u away!
ReplyDeleteTasty and delicious pics, What a great blog you have!
ReplyDeleteHaha. Interesting combination, funny conversation.
ReplyDeleteThat IS a perfect combo. I had it years ago, made it a few times, and lost the recipe...had forgotten all about it! Good stuff!
ReplyDeleteSalsa and apricot preserves - grace, awesome combination of flavors! It sounds really good to me.
ReplyDeleteYour mama is just wrong. Plain wrong. And your chicken sounds like the dinner I wish I had waiting for me.
ReplyDeleteapricot and salsa? that sounds good! like mango chutney, but with apricot!
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'd have to reduce the heat for this dish, just a little bit, but it sounds delicious. I love sweet and spicy combinations. :)
ReplyDeleteLooks pretty tasty to me. I'm all for trying new things. I've got a chili recipe for you that you will enjoy.
ReplyDeletehttp://crockpotbbq.blogspot.com/2008/06/three-meat-chili.html
Sounds good to me! I love that kind of sweet-salty-spicy flavor combination. Well done!
ReplyDeletei love the combo of toast with jam and bacon, so i get the strange combos.
ReplyDeletestrangest combos can in most cases (such as this) be a success
ReplyDeletethere's some sort of sweet sour hot soup in chinese cuisine that looks kinda like that! but i know how daunting the flavours can be if u've never tried it. awesome though. i really like the colour of it. looks well fiery! :)
ReplyDeleteactually that combination sounds really good to me...I found some pineapple peach salsa at wal-mart that was really good...probably not as spicy as you would want it though...
ReplyDeleteI fully approve of this and the photos look great to me. I took a lot of heat this weekend for doing a chocolate and chili dessert (is it bad that I feel the need to point out that awful pun? lol), but I'm all for having "different" combinations of flavors
ReplyDeleteI don't care what anybody says...I'm in for dinner.
ReplyDeleteVERY interesting combo - and I think it sounds rather appealing, in a weird way. Love it that you even thought to give it a whirl.
ReplyDeleteI think fruit and spice are a fantastic sounding combo, mango salsa is a big hit at our house! I just tried a great spicy apricot jam at the farmers market yesterday, they were serving it on crackers, it was really yummy.
ReplyDeleteSee, you're a culinary genious.
As long as it tastes good, who cares what's in the dish. "Fruit salsas" with a mixture of heat and fruite are big where I live. The entire thing sounds delish to me!
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't sneer!
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite salsas is a peach salsa so I can imagine that this flavor combination would be delicious!
ReplyDeleteChicken with salsa and mango preserves sounds pretty tasty!
ReplyDeleteWell I have faith in you Grace so I will be over for dinner. Sounds like a winning combination to me. Good Job.
ReplyDeleteSweet and spicy - perfect combination! It looks and sounds amazingly good. I only wish all my family members could enjoy hot salsa as I do...
ReplyDeleteGirl, that flavor combination is right on! You see a lot of salsas with fruit in Texas actually--Peach salsa is really popular. Raspberry with some heat is good, too... in my opinion, anyway. Cook on--so glad I found your blog!
ReplyDeleteps, love your banjo-pickin' squirrel.
I love mango salsa. Fruit salsa's are fab on fish....or with a spoon.
ReplyDeleteI recently made a thai marinade that called for apricot preserves. super yum.
That doesn't sound odd to me at all. Sounds delish. I make a chicken recipe that has a combo of cranberry sauce, French dressing and dried onion mix. That one is a goodie too!
ReplyDeletesounds wonderful. I just made a strawberry pizza with cheese; I love fruits savory.
ReplyDeleteSounds GREAT to me!
ReplyDeleteSneer not indeed! Peach (or Nectarine) salsa is one of my favorites, apricots and salsa has GOT to be good!
ReplyDeletei tend to not like mixing fruit in with savory dishes, though i'm always willing to give it a try - this sounds really good, in all honesty. i'd give it a go!
ReplyDeleteSounds delicious to me!!
ReplyDeletei love things that are ridiculously hot! i think the hot and fruity combo sounds great! sorry mum doesn't agree :P
ReplyDelete:)) I'm still laughing after reading "Mammicus". That's my favourite of all 3!
ReplyDelete