Loquat Chicken

If you have a loquat tree in your back yard or know someone who does, you'll try to find something to do with them. This is a great tart and spicy way to use up those seemingly endless loquats. This loquat recipe would work well with pork, too. Loquats are very much a seasonal fruit. Late spring to early summer is the only time of year you can find them. It pairs very well with rice.

• Preparation Time: 15 mins
• Cooking Time: 30 mins
• Total Time: 45 mins
• Calories: 401 Calories

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• ½ cup water
• ½ cup orange juice
• 1 tablespoon ground ginger
• ⅓ cup brown sugar
• 2 skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
• ½ teaspoon lemon pepper
• ¼ cup vinegar
• ½ teaspoon smoked paprika
• 1 tablespoon grapeseed oil
• 6 large ripe loquats, peeled and pitted

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Place loquats into a saucepan and stir in water, orange juice, and brown sugar until sugar is dissolved. Bring mixture to a boil.

Step 2

Stir in ground ginger, cinnamon, lemon pepper, and smoked paprika; reduce heat to low. Simmer until sauce has thickened and loquats soften and begin to break apart, about 20 minutes, occasionally whisking vigorously to help break up fruit.

Step 3

Stir in vinegar and simmer for 3 more minutes. Remove from heat and set aside.

Step 4

Heat grapeseed oil in a skillet over medium heat. Cook chicken breasts in hot oil until golden brown and no longer pink in the center, 5 to 8 minutes per side. Remove chicken breasts from the skillet and cut them into bite-sized pieces.

Step 5

Return chicken pieces to the skillet and stir in 1/4 of the loquat sauce, scraping and dissolving any browned bits of food into sauce. Serve chicken with remaining loquat sauce on the side.