Spanish Almond Chicken by The Careless Cook

 

Spanish Almond Chicken by The Careless Cook

 

 

 

We lived in Spain for a while and the Spanish cuisine is one of my favorites.  The last time I was there with my brother, we learned when you go into a café or bar, don’t order food, just order wine. 

 

The word tapa is frequently overplayed in the U.S., but in Spain it’s a small dish that comes along with any drink you order, be it beer or wine or a rum and Coke.  Olives, garlic shrimp, thin slices of delicious Serrano ham, Manchego cheese, made from the milk of sheep from the Manchego breed.  I’ve also often been blessed when presented with a small plate of unsalted anchovies in garlic oil. In the U.S., eating anchovies means being turned into a first cousin of Lot’s wife.  Not so in Spain. In garlic oil, or freshly fried, they are delicious.

 

 

And that takes us into the many varieties of the broad, Spanish Cuisine, beginning with the world famous paella from Valencia, and cochinillio asado, roast suckling pig, just to name a few of the culinary wonders that come from a Spanish kitchen. Almost forgot to mention the soups!  Gazpacho, Caldo Gallego from the north, and the unforgettable Fabada de Asturiana, also from the north.  Sometimes I think I could live on Fabada, that wonderful bean stew!

 

Which brings me to travel.  There is much more to Spain than Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia and the other tourist meccas.   Each is wonderful of course, and well worth some of your time, but don’t forget the north and northwest.  Think of the United States and ask yourself if you’ve seen the country after visiting New York City, San Francisco and Miami, and disregarding all the wonders in between.

 

I’ve been asked if there’s a Spanish wine I really like.  Yes, the wet kind. In a bar you just order a wine, red or white and what you get is wonderful.  Same with beer.  Now I must warn you, if you order a Cuba Libre, you better specify rum, or you may get either Coke with rum, or gin.

 

Ok, you hungry tourists….

 

 

 

Time we git wit it!

 

 

Spanish Almond Chicken 

 

 

Yield: serves 4

Time: About an hour, not counting the chopping and dicing.

 

By the way, I prefer what the French call mis en place (miz ahn plashs), which means doing all the chopping and measuring and getting everything ready before you start cookin’ with heat!

 

Note: this dish is all done on your stovetop.  No need for an oven.

Ingredients

·       About 1/3 cup olive oil – amount is hard to tell.  You’ll be using a splash here and there

·       1 tsp. smoked Spanish paprika (pimentón) Don’t have it?  Use regular paprika.

·       5 skinless, boneless chicken thighs, patted dry

·       Salt and pepper

·       2 medium onions, peeled and diced (I used sweet onions, but cook’s choice)

·       3-4 large garlic cloves, peeled and chopped

·       2 heaping teaspoons flour

·       1 cup dry white wine

·       2 cups chicken stock

.    Two or three sprinkles of dried oregano

·       1 teaspoon Turmeric.  The Spanish use saffron, but it’s expensive and Turmeric works fine. 

·       Roasted salted marcona almonds (about 2 cups), finely ground, plus more whole almonds, for garnish.  Yes you can use marcona almonds and they are delicious, but again, expensive.  I used regular almonds, fried them in some olive oil and added salt.

·       Note:  I used one cup of ground almonds

·       1 tbsp. sherry vinegar.  Any lightly flavored vinegar will do.

·       Parsley leaves, for garnish – use or don’t use.

Instructions

1.    In a large skillet (big enough to hold all the chicken pieces…in step two (below), stir together 2 tablespoons or a bit more of the oil and the paprika. Turn the heat to medium and stir, until fragrant. Fragrance will happen rapidly!

2.    Season the chicken with salt and black pepper and add it to the skillet. Turn the heat to high and add 2 more tablespoons of the oil. Turn the chicken as needed, until browned on both sides. Transfer to a plate.

3.    Add a little more oil to the skillet, toss in the onions and turn the heat down to medium-high. Cook, stirring, until onions are soft and translucent. Add the chopped garlic cloves and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute more. Stir in the flour and cook until white streaks have disappeared. Add the white wine, stir, turn the heat to high, and cook until bubbling and thick, about 3 minutes. Gradually stir in the stock, oregano, and saffron or turmeric. Add the reserved chicken and any accumulated juices and bring to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook, partially covered until the sauce thickens. Watch it!  If will happen fast!

4.    Stir in the ground almonds, vinegar, and cook a few minutes more. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and the whole almonds you put aside, and serve over rice.

 

My photos do not do this dish justice.  This is one of the most delicious I have prepared in a long time.  Would I lie to you?  Have I lied to you?  I’m thinking, no, but then my memory is drifting with the tide.  Anyway, I always have your best interests at heart.

 

Spanish Almond Chicken….tasting is believing!