Mediterranean Braised Chicken
By Michael Minorgan for Curtains Up minorgan@yahoo.ca
In a ‘better late than never’ moment some months ago I decided to adopt the Mediterranean approach to my daily eating habits. This way of eating (I hate the word ‘diet’, it has too many bad connotations) is indigenous to countries like Greece, Southern Italy and Spain. It involves the healthy consumption of legumes, vegetables, fruits, fish and instead of butter or margarine hefty healthy ‘glugs’ of good quality olive oil reign supreme. The consumption of meat and dairy products are also greatly reduced (in my case I cut out red meat altogether). The rite of passage is given to a glass of red wine with every meal…a healthy addition according to those in the ‘know’.
This week’s recipe is one I have used quite often over these months of renewed energy and restful nights, it’s delicious, but please make sure you take the time to properly sear the chicken so that it is browned all over before you continue with the rest of the recipe. Once the chicken is fully cooked remove it from the casserole and adjust the consistency and flavor of the sauce to your likening then return the chicken to the pot before serving….Enjoy!
Ingredients
1 whole chicken, cut into pieces
3 garlic cloves, crushed
2 medium onions julienned
2 sweet peppers, one red and one yellow julienned
1 bay leaf
80ml red wine vinegar
150ml dry white wine
80ml olive oil
1 tsp dried oregano
120g prunes, diced
4 tbsp salted capers, rinsed
24 green olives, pitted
8 tbsp light brown sugar
3 tbsp flat leaf parsley, chopped
sea salt
freshly ground black pepper
Method
The day before, chop up the chicken into pieces, leaving the skin on each part. Make two or three slashes through the skin on each piece, cutting a little way into the flesh.
Make the marinade by mixing together the vinegar, olives, garlic, capers, prunes, oregano, salt, pepper and oil. Lay the chicken in a shallow glass or stainless steel dish and spoon over the marinade or place in a large plastic bag, rubbing the marinade into the cuts. Cover with cling film and chill overnight if using the pan method.
The following day, begin by preheating the oven to 180C/350F. Lift the chicken from the marinade and drain well, reserving the marinade.
Heat a frying pan and add a small amount of sunflower oil to the pan. When the pan and oil are hot, fry the chicken pieces skin side down until the skin is a light golden brown. Don’t be tempted to push the chicken around in the pan or you will end up leaving the lovely caramelised skin behind. Done correctly, the chicken will be easy to turn over, with no part getting stuck to the pan. Turn over the chicken, remove the pan from the heat and allow it to cool a little.
Add the onions and sweet peppers to the pan and sauté until starting to brown a little. Pour the marinade over the chicken then sprinkle on the brown sugar. Adding the light brown sugar helps to clarify the sweet and sour taste in this dish, and also helps the sauce get that really rich, quite thick consistency. However, don’t overheat it, or reduce it for too long or that coating consistency will turn into a syrupy caramel.
Pour the wine around the chicken in the pan, cover with a lid and cook in the oven for about 20 minutes (a little more if the breasts are thick), basting two or three times during the cooking.
To test if cooked, prick the chicken at its thickest with a skewer and check that the juices run clear with no trace of blood. Or, even better, use a meat thermometer, ensuring the thickest piece of meat is above 80C. Lift the chicken onto a warm serving dish and place the pan on the heat. Bring the juices to the simmer and add the parsley. Reduce until you have a coating consistency, but don’t allow the sauce to go syrupy. Mix well and check the seasoning, then pour the contents of the pan over the chicken. Serve it immediately with pilaff rice.
