Sweet apricots, gold rum, and charred barbecue chicken bring a warm summer feel to the table, while the deep-fried potato salad adds crunch and richness. Fresh herbs and lemon keep the plate lively, making this a bold, sunny dish for relaxed outdoor cooking.
By Andi OliverFrom Saturday Kitchen Recipes
This apricot and rum butter barbecue chicken with deep-fried potato salad sits toward the richer end of the Nutri-Score range because it uses butter, cream, and deep-fried potatoes. The chicken, peas, lettuce, and herbs add protein and freshness, but the overall dish stays indulgent, with a high-energy barbecue feel.
Energy: ~820 kcal per serving Fat: ~54g Carbohydrates: ~38g Protein: ~36g Fibre: ~5g
Equipment
Ingredients
Butter
- 3 apricots
- 2 onions
- 2 heads garlic
- 8 cherry tomatoes on the vine
- 2 red chillies
- olive oil, for roasting
- 80ml gold rum
- 250g butter
- 1 tbsp runny honey
- salt, to taste
Chicken
- 20g all-purpose seasoning
- 4–6 chicken thighs
- 150ml green seasoning
Potato Salad
- 4 potatoes
- flour or cornflour, for frying
- 2 hard-boiled egg yolks
- 1 tsp English or Dijon mustard
- 1 tbsp caster sugar
- splash white wine vinegar
- 150ml double cream or crème fraîche
- 1 lemon juice
- splash full-fat milk (optional)
- 10g fresh chives
- 5g spring onion tops
- salt and white pepper, to taste
Green Salad
- 2 heads Little Gem lettuce
- 200g fresh peas
- 10g fresh mint
- 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
- 1 lemon juice
- salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Customise
- Swap chicken thighs for chicken drumsticks if you want a more casual barbecue cut.
- Use crème fraîche instead of double cream for a sharper potato salad.
- Replace apricots with peaches for a softer, sweeter barbecue butter.
- Add coriander to the green salad for a brighter herbal finish.
Method
- Roast the butter base (35 mins) Heat the oven to 170C/150C Fan/Gas 3½. Put the apricots, onions, garlic, tomatoes, and chillies into a roasting tray, season well, and drizzle with oil. Roast until everything softens and deepens in colour, then cool, peel the garlic, trim the chillies, and blend with rum, butter, and honey until smooth.
- Marinate the chicken (30 mins to 1 hour) Coat the chicken thighs with all-purpose seasoning and green seasoning, then leave them in the fridge so the flavour sinks in. This step gives the apricot and rum butter barbecue chicken a fuller, more rounded taste.
- Prepare the potatoes (15 mins) Simmer the potatoes in salted water until they just begin to soften. Drain them well, then shake them gently in the colander to rough up the edges before tossing with flour or cornflour and chilling until cool.
- Fry the potato salad base (5 mins) Heat the oil to 180C and deep-fry the potatoes until golden and crisp. Drain them on kitchen paper so the deep-fried potato salad stays light on the outside and fluffy inside.
- Make the salad cream (10 mins) Mash the egg yolks with mustard, sugar, a pinch of salt, and a splash of vinegar until smooth. Whisk in the cream and lemon juice, then loosen with a little milk if needed. Stir through half the chives and season well.
- Finish the potato salad (5 mins) Fold the warm, crisp potatoes through the salad cream, then top with the remaining chives and spring onion tops. Set it aside while you cook the chicken so the flavours settle together.
- Cook and baste the chicken (15 to 20 mins) Put a griddle pan over a medium heat and cook the chicken skin-side down until golden. Turn it over, brush with the rum butter, and keep turning and basting until the chicken cooks through and turns sticky, glossy, and succulent.
- Assemble the green salad (5 mins) Toss the lettuce, peas, and mint together, then dress with olive oil and lemon juice. Season lightly so the salad stays fresh and bright beside the richer barbecue flavours.
- Serve straight away Plate the apricot and rum butter barbecue chicken with the deep-fried potato salad and green salad. Spoon over any remaining butter from the pan for extra shine and serve while everything is hot.
Additional notes: Keep the potato pieces dry before frying so they crisp properly. The apricot butter can be made ahead and warmed gently before basting the chicken.