Honey-Spiced Chicken with Orange Sauce

In Israel honey is an ingredient used to signal festive occasions, to celebrate the sweetness of life or of a new year. Serve this wonderful dish with Couscous or Jewish Egg Braid.

2 tablespoons chicken fat or vegetable oil
1 (2 1/2 to 3 pound) broiler-fryer chicken, cut up
2 medium onions, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1 cup orange juice
1/4 cup honey
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup pitted ripe olives
1 tablespoon cold water
2 teaspoons cornstarch
Orange slices

Heat oil in skillet until hot. Cook chicken over medium heat until brown on all sides, about 15 minutes. Place chicken in ungreased 11 x 7-inch baking dish; top with onions. Sprinkle with salt, paprika and pepper. Mix orange juice, honey, lemon juice, ginger and nutmeg; pour over chicken. Add olives. Cover and bake at 350 degrees F until thickest pieces of chicken are done, 45 to 60 minutes.

Arrange chicken, onions and olives on platter. Pour pan juices into saucepan; heat to boiling. Mix water and cornstarch; stir into juices. Cook and stir until slightly thickened, 1 to 2 minutes. Garnish chicken with orange slices; serve with orange sauce.

Yields 6 to 8 servings.