Hi Elise,

This sounds very yummy. Can you use anything other than sherry? Any suggestions?

The recipe sounds wonderful and I am certainly going to give it a try. I'm looking for some more interesting things to do with chicken.

Having just come from living in Israel, I have used cardomon with chicken and have a nice little recipe which uses it along with cumin and corriander.

And, since this is my first posting here, I want to tell you, I love your site!

Yes, I'd also like a suggestion for alternatives to sherry. I'm notoriously bad at picking alternatives (I often end up ruining recipes) so I usually ask the experts or my mom =)

Do you have any non-alcoholic suggestions to replace the sherry? My whole family are teetotalers, so I have no idea what I could use to get a similar (or even acceptable) flavor. This recipe sounds very good.

A lot of times for sherry I'll sub in some orange or pineapple juice.

The honey and cardamon are a good match... Cardamon pods/ seeds are fragrant, but I find that they usually add a acid bitter taste to the food. This seems like a good and easy dish to make for a large party!

Many flavor components are alcohol soluble, but not water soluble. Thus when alcoholic beverages are used in cooking, it is as often for the flavors they release as much as for the flavors they impart.

Two tablespoons of sherry--used to marinate an entire chicken, which is then cooked--are not going to leave even a suggestion of alcohol on the palate (I'd be willing to bet that a ripe banana would contain a much greater amount.)

This is not to imply that trace amounts will not remain in the dish, so if you have medical reasons to omit alchol in your diet, by all means skip the sherry (which is acidic and woody, *not at all* sweet like pineapple or citrus juice.) But I think even teetotalers would appreciate the judicious use of wine in cooking.

As for religious constraints, I plead total ignorance. Do those whose faiths prohibit alcohol cook with it? Would such a thing be considered a serious transgression?

I know the preference is for fresh cardamom seeds and peppercorns, but if one were to use pre-ground spices, what would the measurements be?

Alcohol boils at 140F, and so there will be none left after the searing and baking.

Surprisingly, alcohol remains in food even after cooking, and it is never entirely eliminated.

How much is retained?

http://homecooking.about.com/library/archive/blalcohol12.htm

I am decidedly not a teetotaler myself, and I am well aware that no one is going to get crocked off of two tablespoons of sherry, but those with medical issues should be aware of this phenomenon.

You could also sub verjus (unsweetened grape juice from young, not totally ripe grapes, basically) for sherry and wine in recipes. A combo of white wine vinegar and grape juice can also work, as can chicken stock.

For this recipe, as it's a marinade, I'd use some white grape juice and some white wine vinegar (no alcohol in that).

This is an excellent recipe. I modified the recipe for grilling by adding the oil to the marinade, as well as using boneless, skinless breasts (anathema to some, I know). I basted the chicken occasionally while grilling. I also grilled lemons and squeezed the juice over the chicken at serving time. Thanks for sharing such a yummy recipe.

This is a total staple at my home! :) We use orange juice though, instead of sherry; it's great! :) I heart your site Elise! Thanks! I check this site daily, and always find something that I'm interested in cooking! Yay! :)

This was very good. I found the cardamom a little perfume-y tasting, but my fiance LOVED it. I will try this again on the grill...

I made this tonight and it was wonderful. I used chicken thighs. I did not have any sherry so I used some Reisling and it turned out just fine. Another great one, Elise! Thanks so much!

Long-time reader, first time commenting. I just tried this recipe, and the sauce turned out quite bitter. Is the temperature supposed to be 350°F, rather than 390? I used 400°F, and I suspect the lime slices that I substituted for lemon overcooked at that temperature.

Hi!
This is not my first visit on your website since I am a long-time reader. I definitely love it. Everytime, I want to give a try to one of your recipe and today I decided for this recipe. Will tell you about the result...

I tried this recipe tonight and it was good but slightly bitter due to the lime (I didn't have any lemon on hand). I also added cumin and coriander seeds along with the cardamom. I definitely made it again but next time I will use only lemon juice.

My mom asked me yesterday what I wanted for dinner like she sometimes does, and usually I don't have an answer, but ever since I found your site about a week ago I've been sending her links like crazy! She made this for dinner today, and the flavors were so interesting. Sweet with a kind of spicy, herb-y bite. Will def have again! Thanks!

I made this tonight and it was fantastic! I'm so happy that I found this recipe. I am definitely going to make it again! I made it with mashed potatoes and carrots. Check out the recipe here..http://www.recipezaar.com/126894
It goes perfectly with the chicken. Thanks again!

Elise

I have just discovered your wonderful site and I am so thrilled. Even better, you are flagging low carb recipes, which I need for medical reasons.

However, I think this particular recipe, which uses honey and sherry, should not be labelled low carb. Nothing with this much added sugar could possibly qualify. I assume this is a mistake :-)

Elise,

I made this tonight for the first time and it was so delicious;and served it with lemon rissoto and salad. My in-laws are coming for Christmas and I think I'll serve this the first night they are here. Can't wait to have the leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Thanks for such an interesting and unique recipe. I love your web-site!

I thought low-carb meant not eating potato, rice etc.

If you are eating low-carb, then don't serve with potatoes or rice. ~Elise

I have made this recipe twice, since you posted it. I made one minor change. I did not have any lemons, so I used orange slices instead. It was fabulous.

I love the smell of cardamom, I made this for my boyfriend last night - his first reaction was chicken again!! But to his surprise he really liked it. I will definitely make it again. Only thing is the lemon slices left a little bit of a bitter taste...how do you prevent this?