Hello...is anybody out there...?...I know it's been a while since I've posted anything...things have been crazy busy here in NY and I've been a little slammed at work. Don't think that means I haven't been cooking...quite the contrary...I've been cooking, and shooting plates...I just haven't had the time to write out recipes and post to the blog...until today. And I've got quite a treat for you...it's fast, simple, full of flavor and tastes as good as it looks.
The recipe I based this off of calls for the chicken to be broiled and uses chipotle peppers and chicken thighs. I live in NY and my broiler is a joke and I used Ancho chili powder and chicken breasts...cause...well...that's how I roll...and it's also what I had on hand. I chose to go with boneless skinless chicken breasts...but feel the end result would be even better with some crispy skin and that extra flavor from cooking with the bone in...the choice, as always, is yours...the steps, as always, are below.
Ancho Chicken
1-1/2 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp. Ancho chili powder
1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon
Kosher salt
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 Tbs. olive oil
1 medium clove garlic
1 large or 2 small jarred roasted red peppers, drained
1 Tbs. coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
Directions
Preheat oven to 350.
In a small bowl, combine 1 tsp. of the cumin, the sugar, 1/4 tsp. of the Ancho powder, the cinnamon, and 1 tsp. salt. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with 1 Tbs. of the oil, and then toss with the spice mixture.
Heat a tablespoon of olive oil in an oven safe skillet over medium high heat. You really want to get the olive oil hot to sear the spice mixture into the chicken, and if you're using skin on chicken...this is where it gets crispy. Place the chicken top side down in the skillet and sear for 2-3 min until spices form a crust on the surface, or until skin is crispy and red-brown. Remove from the heat and let rest for a minute or so, then flip the chicken and place in the oven. Cook for 20-25 min. until chicken is cooked through (internal temp of 165).
Meanwhile, coarsely chop the garlic and sprinkle it with 1/4 tsp. salt and a drizzle of olive oil. Using the flat side of a chef’s knife, smear and mash the garlic and salt together to form a coarse paste. Transfer the garlic paste to a food processor and add the roasted red pepper, the remaining 2 Tbs. oil, the remaining 1/2 tsp. each of cumin and Ancho powder, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Purée into a smooth sauce.
Garnish the chicken with the cilantro and serve with the sauce.
This dish is a really simple way to spice up that ever popular chicken breast dinner and really does have a ton of flavor. I'm also VERY partial to this method of cooking chicken breast (searing then roasting) as it results in a lovely crispy exterior and super succulent interior. It's so very easy to overcook a chicken breast on the stove that, for the extra 15 min, I'd just as much rather throw it in the oven. I happened to serve my chicken the other night with Rice Pilaf (the fancy name for Rice-a-Roni), and though I do have a recipe to make it from scratch, on that particular night, I went straight out of the box.
Mangia e statti zitto...
cheers...
dunkin
No comments:
Post a Comment