Smoky Iberian Chicken

Submitted by Queen Dragon Mom

"This is a riff on a dish I had at a restaurant. I was wondering how I could combine alder-smoked Romas, hot pimenton and saffron to play off the taste of caramelized onions and red pepper strips. Then add the earthy taste of portobello mushrooms to pull it together. Dry vermouth is wonderful in this rather than white wine. Really pulls the flavors together. It turned out better than I thought it could. DS2 says it is "delectable." LOL Try it and let me know what you think. The prep. time includes the brining period for the chicken. Thanks"

 

• Ready In: 4hrs 30mins
• Ingredients: 16
• Serves: 6

ingredients

• Brine

• 2 quarts water
• 1⁄2 cup kosher salt
• 1⁄2 cup turbinado sugar
• 1 tablespoon vegetable stock base

• Meat

• 6 large boneless chicken breasts, with skin on

• Sauce

• 2 large white onions, peeled and sliced very thin
• 2 large red bell peppers, seeded and sliced in thin strips
• 6 garlic cloves, peeled and minced
• 8 saffron strands or 1/8 teaspoon saffron
• 2 tablespoons hot pimiento powder
• 1⁄4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 cup pinot grigio wine
• olive oil
• 4 portabella mushroom caps, sliced thinly
• 1 lb roma tomato, alder smoked and peeled
• 1 lb roma tomato, seeded and finely chopped

directions

1. Mix brine ingredients and submerge chicken in the liquid. Allow about 30 minutes per pound for the brining.
2. The smoked tomato recipe is number 117225 or number 181924. Use a mild wood, I like alder for this recipe.
3. Combine all the tomatos in a bowl with the wine, garlic, cinnamon, saffron and pimenton. Mix well and cover until needed.
4. Remove chicken from the brine, dry well and brown thoroughly in a heavy pan using some of the oil.
5. Remove the chicken.
6. Scrape the pan bottom, add some more oil if needed and dump in the onions and pepper strips, stirring to coat. Add oil as necessary but don't get it mushy from too much. It will end up as grease when the dish is finished.
7. Caramelize the vegetables.
8. Keeping heat up, add the tomato mixture. Reduce heat to simmer and cover.
9. Simmer for about 30 minutes until the sauce has come together and reduced a bit.
10. Return the chicken to the sauce, covering the pieces as much as possible. Place the mushroom strips over the chicken.
11. Keeping heat very low, cover tightly and simmer until the chicken is fork-tender and the sauce is a consistency pleasing to you, anywhere from very thick to thin, it's your call. (If you are serving this with rice, thinner is better. If it's a stand-alone with oven roasted potatos or something like that, make it thick so the sauce clings to the meat.).