Spanish Chicken done with Grace and Style

Stop the presses!

This recipe is simply amazing.

And easy.

I know, I know, I say that about all my recipes.

But it’s true.

Anyway, the easy part comes from knowing basic skills in the kitchen and not freaking out when a recipe has you do something you’ve never done.
And also it comes from the ability to react quickly when you do something you weren’t supposed to do in a recipe.

And that you do it all with a sense of grace and style as opposed to shrieking at the top of your lungs and using lots of words that normally would come out of the mouth of a sailor, as my mother so eloquently puts it.

You don’t expect flames when you add vermouth to drippings and shallots, do you. Unless the recipe tells you to do this, right? Well, you should if you get over enthused about what you’re doing and decide you’re related to Julia Child and swirl the pan so the liquid sloshes out and all of a sudden you’re flaming the shallot/white wine mix.

And a wooden pepper mill.

But I digress.

The ease of cooking is also demonstrated by the ability to stay on task.

Deciding it’s time to water the gardenia that has been wintering in the guest bathroom because you have two minutes until dinner is done and the last time you watered it was in February is not really staying on task, now is it?

A glass of your favorite wine helps with the sense of grace and style you demonstrate because you are relaxed, creating an incredible meal for the man you love after you put out the flaming peppermill.

The result of this graceful concentration on the task at hand?

A meal that blows your mind.

One bite and you’re transported to the coast of Spain, lounging on the beach, waiting for Cabana Groom to bring you a glass of fabulous Spanish red wine and you are the cutest thing on that beach, the sound of the ocean in your ears.

Another bite, you’re back at the Red Brick Ranchero, smoking peppermill on one side and on the other is Groom, smiling and saying, I don’t know how you make it all look so easy.

A comment you hear as you race back to the guest bath to turn the ocean off.

You see?

Grace and style.


Spanish Chicken done with Grace and Style

4 bone in chicken thighs, skin on
2 links chorizo sausage, pierced in several places
4 fat garlic cloves, sliced thinly
1 large shallot, minced
1/3 cup dry white wine
1 15 ounce can plum tomatoes
½ cup chicken stock
2 red bell peppers, cored seeded and sliced thinly in strips
About a tbsp chopped fresh thyme
¼ cup chopped Italian parsley

Heat a bit of extra virgin olive oil in a skillet. Add the two pierced links of chorizo and let cook til brown. This will take about 15 minutes.

Remove the chorizo and slice diagonally. Add the chicken to the skillet and season with coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper. Cook til golden and remove from pan.

Add shallots to pan and dry white wine…cook quietly til its reduced by half and add the tomatoes, garlic, red peppers, thyme. Cook 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock. Cook five minutes. Add the chicken back to the pan and cook 35 minutes.

Remove the chicken from the pan and add the chorizo and cook about five more minutes. Sauce should be pretty thick by now. Plate with a chicken thigh and sauce over. You could garnish with Italian parsley if you remember.

Serve with lots of crusty bread.

Serves 4.

Spanish Chicken done with Grace and Style