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Sephardic Chicken
by Molly O'Neill
Adapted from Cooking Jewish: 532 Great Recipes From the Rabinowitz Family by Judy Bart Kancigor (Workman, 2007). Ms. Kancigor writes, “This recipe was inspired by the Jaffa Orange-Ginger Chicken With Baharat in Joan Nathan’s Foods of Israel Today, and it has become one of the most popular dishes in my cooking classes. Freshly ground spices add a heady aroma and exotic flavor. (Use a coffee grinder to do this. Just don’t grind coffee in it.) Joan uses baharat, an Israeli spice mixture, during the year, which you can find in a Middle Eastern market, and you can use it too. But I love this Moroccan spice combination.”
For the sautéed vegetables:
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 to 8 ounces shallots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
8 ounces white mushrooms, sliced
For the chicken:
4 to 5 large boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1/2 cup matzo cake meal
1 tablespoon Moroccan spice mix (see below)
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon paprika
2 tablespoons olive oil, or more as needed
1 tablespoon non-dairy margarine
For the sauce:
1 1/4 cups homemade chicken stock or low-sodium canned broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
2 tablespoons orange liqueur
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
Grated zest of 1 lemon
1/2 cup pitted small green olives
1/4 cup sliced oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, drained
1 tablespoon capers, drained (optional)
1 teaspoon Moroccan spice mix, or to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Moroccan Spice Mix:
Combine the spices in a spice grinder or coffee mill and grind until fine and well mixed. Makes about 4 tablespoons.
2 thin cinnamon sticks (about 3 inches each), broken into pieces
2 teaspoons black peppercorns
2 teaspoons fennel seeds
1 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1/2 teaspoon whole cloves
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg, or a sliver of whole nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom, or seeds from 6 cardamom pods
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
1. Prepare the vegetables: Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy frying pan over medium heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until they are soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and continue cooking, stirring constantly, for 1 minute more.
2. Prepare the chicken: Pound the chicken breasts lightly in the thickest part, just to even them out somewhat. (You may want to use a resealable plastic bag for this, but do as you wish.) Dry the chicken thoroughly with paper towels. On a dinner plate, combine the matzo cake meal, Moroccan spice mix, salt, and paprika. Just before you cook it, coat the chicken thoroughly in the matzo-spice mixture, shaking off the excess. Heat the oil and margarine in the same frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and sauté until browned, about 3 minutes. Turn the chicken over and brown the other side, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and set it aside. Drain any excess oil from the pan, being careful not to discard the brown bits.
3. Prepare the sauce: Add the chicken stock to the pan and bring to a boil, scraping up the brown bits. Reduce the heat and add the sautéed vegetables, wine, honey, ginger, orange liqueur, lemon juice, and lemon zest. Bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes. Then add the olives, sun-dried tomatoes, capers, and Moroccan spice mix. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, for the flavors to blend. Add salt and pepper to taste.
4. Return the chicken to the pan, cover it with the sauce, and simmer, covered, for about 5 minutes. Turn the chicken over and continue simmering, covered, until it is cooked through, about 5 minutes more. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 to 5 servings.
Note: After Passover, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce can be added with the ginger
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