Drunken Chicken

The trees have been in heat overdrive here. Last weekend we actually reached a pollen count of 4,000. The usual pollen count during the spring...1,500. Needless to say my poor allergies couldn't handle it and I got a sinus infection. I actually made myself go to the doctor on Wednesday because I was in so much pain. Anyways - after spending a bunch on meds I am feeling a lot better. So much better that I actually cooked last night.

I haven't cooked in a long time, and part of me was really craving comfort food. And for me, comfort food returns to the food that my mom made for me when I was a girl. So for dinner last night I made myself Pollo Borracho aka Drunken Chicken.

The recipie my mom gave me feeds an army, and I'm just serving little ol' me. So over the years I've just kind of figured out how to do it for little ol' me so that there are three or four servings. Traditionally we served it with white rice, but seeing as I am trying to eat better, I now serve it over brown rice - which frankly is yummier.

So here is the recipie for Em's Drunken Chicken
1 package skinned Chicken Thighs
1 onion
2-3 Tbsp. fresh parsley
2-3 Tbsp sesame seeds
2-3 Tbsp canola oil (really you want enough to coat the bottom of your pan)
Dash salt and pepper
1/2 tsp. whole cloves (I usually throw in about 10)
1 cinnamon stick
1 bay leaf
1 cup of any white wine you have hanging around, the drier the better
2 tsp. vinegar (white or apple can work)
1 cup green olives with the juice (approx. 30)

Cut up the onions and parsley. Heat up the oil in a large suace pan/dutch oven/or stock pot over medium heat. When its warm, toss in the onions, parsley, and sesame seeds. Stir a couple of times so nothing sticks to the bottom of the pan. Cook until onions are yellow and soft (yummmm!) Meanwhile, you want to wash, pat dry the chicken. The season chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Once onions are softened, add in chicken. You want to cook the chicken about 4-5 minutes on each side so that the brown but the chicken doesn't need to be cooked through yet. Once brown, throw in the cloves, cinnamon stick, and bay leaf. Let those cook with chicken for about 1-2 minutes. Then add in the wine (you can sip some for yourself), the vinegar, and the olives (with juice). Put a cover on your pan/dutch oven/stock pot and continue cooking at a simmer for 35-40 minutes.

I find that when serving it with brown rice, if I start the rice just before I start cooking the onions, that the rice and the chicken is done at the same time. Steamed green beans go great it it too.

Ok - so that is my Drunken Chicken recipie. Hope you enjoy.