Why apricot chicken and other '80s retro meals are making a comeback in Aussie homes
Apricot chicken was once a staple of Aussie homes.
Thought to have originated in the 1970s, by the '80s and into the '90s, most suburban mums were adding a batch of apricot chicken to their weekly meal roster.
After a good run, the dish started to fall out of favour, but is now making a comeback, thanks in part to its easy three-ingredient recipe and cost-of-living pressures.
Let's take a look at the evolution of apricot chicken, and see what other traditional Australian dinners of the '80s are actually becoming cool again.
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Apricot chicken is as Aussie as it comes, and it's making a comeback. Supplied
Is apricot chicken Australian?
Many foodies debate the origins of apricot chicken. While some believe it originated in Australia, others say it appeared first in the US.
Either way, a recipe for apricot chicken reportedly first appeared in a 1972 edition of The Busy Woman's Cookbook produced by the Australian Women's Weekly.
It was another four years before the recipe appeared in the Weekly itself. That same year, it reportedly made it into the magazine's "best ever" recipes collection.
Traditional apricot chicken recipe
The traditional recipe included just three ingredients; chicken, apricot nectar and a packet of French onion soup mix.
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The dish was popular among generations of Aussies. Getty
Not only was it an easy '80s dinner but it quickly became a classic Aussie meal.
The exact recipe as found in The Busy Woman's Cookbook called for three pounds (1.4kg) of chicken pieces – no type of chicken was specified – one packet of onion soup, a 15 ounce (220ml) can of apricot nectar, one teaspoon of salt a ¼ teaspoon of pepper.
After combining the ingredients in a casserole dish, cover and cook in a moderate oven for 90 minutes before serving with rice.
Later, the dish got even easier and cheaper to make, after a Maggi apricot chicken packet mix hit the market.
Jars of apricot chicken cooking sauce were also on the market at one stage.
In recent years, and certainly this year in particular, the dish has made a comeback, even amongst our leading chefs.
Some, such as Adam Liaw, prefer not to mess with perfection. His recipe, showcased on The Cook Up with Adam Liaw, and published on SBS Food, includes the original three ingredients served with jasmine rice and the addition of toasted cashews on top.
He writes, "This classic recipe for apricot chicken originates from the Dawson family in the '80s and '90s and is inspired by my Mum's recipe.
"To this day, it stays the exact same simple formula made from chicken thighs, apricot nectar, French onion soup mix and toasted cashews."
Other new version of the recipe include apricot chicken drumsticks, apricot chicken rissoles and even healthy apricot chicken, while specific apricot chicken recipes for the slow cooker also exist.
Australian Women's Weekly now has a twist on the original apricot chicken recipe it first published in the 1970s. Instagram/@womensweeklyfood
Financial and wealth expert Gemma Mitchell, author of The Money Reset, said it wasn't surprising apricot chicken and other 'retro' classics were back.
"If you grew up in Australia in the '80s or '90s, chances are apricot chicken made a regular appearance on the dinner table [or was] served every single week, on rotation," she said.
"It was the ultimate family staple: cheap, easy and could feed a small army without breaking the grocery budget.
"Somewhere along the way, apricot chicken was quietly retired to the nostalgia file."
Mitchell said apricot chicken, along with other retro dinners, were coming back because rising grocery prices had left families looking for "low-cost meals that stretch a dollar further".
"The return of apricot chicken is part of a bigger shift in household spending."
Mitchell expects to see even more retro recipes get dusted off as people go "back to the way our parents and grandparents managed a food budget".
With this in mind, we have compiled a list of some other retro favourites.
Tuna mornay was another popular meal in the 80s. Getty
Tuna mornay
An Aussie dinnertime wasn't complete without this favourite, which was a pity if you were a child who hated tinned tuna.
Luckily, the creamy sauce often helped hide the taste of the tuna, even if you could still smell it.
The rest of the dish usually consisted of milk, cream, butter, cheese, some flour, a pasta of choice, usually spiral, possibly some breadcrumbs for the top and in my family's case a tin of corn. And voila! Dinner was served.
Curried sausages
Were you even an Aussie if you didn't eat curried sausages for dinner?
Better yet, you could use yesterday's leftover sausages and simply 'zhuzh' them up.
Various recipes for old-fashioned or classic curried sausages include brown onions, mild curry powder, beef stock and vegies of your choice, such as peas or chopped carrots.
You can also add apple, while my family recipe included sultanas.
Mum's meatloaf was a favourite growing up. Getty
Meatloaf
I can clearly recall my mother's meatloaf making days. She had a few different recipes on rotation, including one with whole eggs inside, before settling on our family favourite, which was stuffed with cheese.
This might be controversial but let me tell you, it was good.
Most Aussie recipes start with mince, either beef, veal or pork, or even all three combined, some onion and/or garlic, breadcrumbs, herbs and maybe some sauces – tomato and Worcestershire are popular. Then all you have to do is chuck it in a dish or loaf pan and cook it.
From memory, my Mum rolled the meat mixture out and put the cheese in the middle before rolling it all up and putting it in a loaf dish in the oven.
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