Boring Sunday Night Chicken Goes on Spanish Holiday

I was driving home from choir practice last week, and I happened to catch a snippet of some program from Martha's Sirius Radio channel...it might have been Everyday Food? Anyway, they were discussing new and interesting ways to prepare chicken. One was a recipe calling for spatchcocking (one of my favorite words) and cooking the bird on top of thick bread so that you end up with a big, chickeny crouton at the end (yum and YUM!).

And then the following recipe is for a Spanish-style chicken that sounded equally delicious. It is a one-pot wonder kind of like chicken cacciatore, but lighter, tangier, and zippier (from the sherry vinegar, green olives, and piquillo peppers). I suppose you could serve it however you like, but we had some leftover ziti knocking about, so that's what I used. However, a crusty loaf of bread to soak up the delicious juices would be ideal. Also, I'd like to note (mostly so I remember to make it again) that we started our meal with an awesome salad made with local Bibb lettuce, local apples, shallots, gorgonzola crumbles, and sliced almonds, all dressed with a lemon-herb vinaigrette.
 

Spanish-Style Chicken

(Source: Martha Stewart Living, October 2013)

 

1 whole chicken (3 1/2 to 4 pounds), cut into 10 pieces      

coarse salt

1/2 teaspoon sweet paprika

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil, plus more as needed

6 cloves garlic, minced (about 2 tablespoons)

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

1/3 cup sherry vinegar

2 cups chicken broth

6 jarred marinated piquillo peppers, cut into strips (about 2/3 cup)

1/2 cup green olives

2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Season chicken on both sides with salt and paprika. Heat an ovenproof 12-inch skillet or shallow braising pan over medium-high heat. Swirl in oil. Working in two batches, add chicken to pan and cook until well browned, about 2 minutes on each side, adding more oil as needed. Transfer chicken as it is browned to a plate.

Reduce heat to low and stir in garlic, then tomato paste, scraping up browned bits in pan with a wooden spoon. Return chicken to skillet, increase heat to high, and pour in vinegar. Boil, stirring, until reduced to a glaze.

Stir in broth and bring to a boil. Add peppers and olives. Transfer to oven and braise until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of breast (do not touch bone) reaches 160 degrees and liquid is reduced by half, 20 to 25 minutes. Garnish with parsley.

Book Club Gathering with a Spanish Flair

Several months ago, my friend Domenica told me that she and some friends from work had discovered that they were all reading Gone Girl at the same time, so they decided to form a book club to discuss it...and also to drink wine and eat good food together. Tee hee. I am sad that I missed the first meeting--especially as I have read all of Gillian Flynn's books and enjoyed them. But she invited me for the second book, The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, another book I read and enjoyed very much; in fact, I use a quote from it as a heading to this blog!

Because the book is Spanish, Domenica decided on a tapas theme for the book club meeting. And the membership did not disappoint! The sangria flowed freely, as did an odd drink of red wine and Coke called kalimotxo. For the savory nibbles, there were stuffed mushrooms, little cheeseballs rolled in nuts and skewered, crackers and hummus, olive and cheese bread with tomato sauce to dip into, and a beautiful Spanish tortilla (like an Italian frittata).


For the dessert course, our lovely hostess made churros and a thick, decadent chocolate sauce to dunk them into. Another gal made some gluten-free lemon bars that were nutty and tangy, but the real showstopper was this gorgeous dulce de leche flan cake atop a brownie-like base. YUM!

As for my contribution, I am still without a range in my kitchen, so I wanted to make something simple, something that I could cook quickly at the party, right before serving. What could be more perfect than some spicy, garlicky shrimp and a crusty baguette to sop up the yummy juices? Easy, delicious, and you will always bring home a clean plate if you serve this dish at a party!

Gambas al Ajillo (Spicy Garlic Shrimp)
(Source: adapted from Lisa and Tony Sierra)

1 1/2 lbs. shrimp, 25 count to a pound (I used frozen, ez-peels)
6 large cloves of garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon sweet Spanish paprika, plus 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika
1/2 (up to one whole) teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/4 teaspoon coarse black pepper
2 tablespoons (up to 1/4 cup) cognac or brandy
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon for juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1 fresh baguette, toasted and sliced

Mix the shrimp with the garlic, all the seasonings, cognac, and olive oil. Saute in a large skillet in a single layer, just a couple/few minutes each side, until they are pink throughout and just starting to curl a bit (not all the way to a "c" shape). Transfer to a serving dish along with the seasoned oil, squeeze the lemon over the top, and garnish with the fresh parsley. Serve with slices of crusty bread to soak up the yummy juice!