AIP Dinner with apricot duck sauce/ salad dressing

On the hot days coming down around me lately- I seem to crave a massive carcinogenic overload in the form of grilled chicken. Always chicken.... Yes, yes- I know- BBQ equates to toxic levels of carcinogens after time....so... I've been faced with the reality of not putting the ol' BBQ to work very often in the past few years.  But- even that fact does not interfere on the days I just can't do without.

I was in the mood for something a bit sweet, a bit tangy, a bit bright all over something smokey and deep....yet out of the predictable path of "Barbecue"... I wanted a duck sauce...that apparently met over an almost Greek-ish marinade undertone.

Chicken Marinade-

1 Cup apple cider Vinegar

1/4 cup Balsamic vinegar

zest and juice of 1 lemon

zest and juice of 1 lime

2 T finely diced garlic

4 T olive oil

liberal salting

Cover and allow to marinate for at least an hour

Now for the sauce...

This sauce is rather forgiving- as I discovered while making it AIP

2 Apples peeled cored then diced

1 Cup chopped dried apricots
2 T chopped scallions
1 T minced fresh ginger (freshly peeled)
1 T olive oil
1/2 C+/- white vinegar

combine all ingredients into small sauce pan with enough white vinegar to cover the apricots and other ingredients.  I allowed all ingredients to saturate for about 20 minutes and then topped with a bit more vinegar to adjust for absorption (you could also use water here if you want it toned down).  Simmer until all ingredients are tender and the sauce coats a spoon well.

Use the thickened sauce to top the chicken about 5 minutes before the grilling is finished.
*When grilling- I almost always use a type of wood for the smoke- this time it was Hickory.

What is left over- set aside and it will become a duck sauce salad dressing...

With an emulsion blender, I added a mango peach juice to thin out the dressing and as the blender was going I slowly added a tiny bit of oil at a time to emulsify into a dressing.  As I try to not use oil, I did not use much and it held perfectly.
(My kids use this "dressing" as a dip for sweet potato wedges)

As for the side dish- 

1 small head of purple cabbage- chopped

1/2 small green cabbage- chopped

1 medium red onion- chopped

1 apple- chopped

2 large carrots- chopped

1/2 t pepper (omit if strict AIP)

2 t raw honey (again- not used if strict AIP- the apples make up the difference!)

1/2 C apple cider vinegar

Add all ingredients to a medium sauce pot with a tight fitting lid and simmer for about 30-40 mins.  If you find the vinegar is still "soupy' at the bottom around 25 mins in- then remove the lid to allow evaporation to caramelize the apple pectin and/or honey if you've used it.

I an not usually a fan of sweet dishes, but this sweet-smokey dish was done with just the right amount of freshness that it was no where near the sickly sweet versions of listed sauces I have had in restaurants years prior.