Burgundy Chicken

This chicken dish is as beautiful as it is tasty.

As I mentioned, I had some wonderful quality time with my girlfriends Paulette and Estrella and we also had wonderful meals at Paulette and Doug.

Friday night, Paulette outdid herself and made a main course I particularly fell in love with which she served us which was skinless, boneless thighs of chicken, also known as pargiot, in a deep red sauce of red wine and cherry juice.

She served it on a bed of coarsely mashed potatoes and it was fab. So those who know me, know I’m not patient waiting for recipes and also, I enjoy experimenting. So although I did get the recipe from her, I dove into this before I received it. Just as well, since I discovered the original recipe contained twice as much red wine as what I used and since I have a sensitivity to red wine, I would’ve had to change it anyway, so all’s well.

To the chicken. First take nice sized pargiot, which I try to get thigh and drumstick together since it’s a nice large portion, but otherwise, simply use more of the smaller sized skinless, boneless thighs. Wash and pat dry. Set aside. Then take two nice sized onions and slice into rings.

Place onions in a deep frying pan which is large enough to hold the 6 pargiot and pour in one cup of red wine, one cup of cherry juice from a jar of cherries in syrup, 2 cinnamon sticks, a bag of cinnamon tea, I used Constant Comment but any nice cinnamon tea bag will do, and cook till the onions turn a nice deep red, about 10 minutes on medium simmer.

Then add the pargiot, laying them on top of the onions.

Cover pan and cook on low simmer for 20 minutes or until the chicken starts to turn a lovely burgundy color and then carefully flip with a spatula and a large spoon to the other side and cook for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Serve plated on a bed of mashed potatoes and expect high praise for this beautiful dish.

Last but not least, I’d like to thank Orlando, manager of the Ca Fiore hotel, Italy, without whom I would not be able to post. I’m “borrowing” some of his data plan. You go Orlando!!

Burgundy Chicken

6 nice sized pargiot, washed and patted dry

2 large onions, peeled, sliced into rings

1 cup red wine, dry

1 cup cherry juice, drained from a jar of pitted cherries in syrup (don’t worry, I used the cherries in a cold soup, for another time)

2 cinnamon sticks

1 bag cinnamon tea (I used Constant Comment which has orange peel as well)

Directions:

Take a large frying pan and place the sliced onions into it, pour over them the red wine and cherry juice. Add the bag of tea and the two cinnamon sticks. Bring to low simmer and cook about ten minutes, the onions will turn a beautiful burgundy color.

Place on top of the onions, the pargiot and cover pan and cook on simmer 20 minutes or till chicken starts to turn burgundy and carefully flip with spatula and spoon to other side. Cook covered an additional 15-20 minutes.

Serve hot, individually plated, on a bed of mashed potatoes and prepare to be given great praise.