So unconventional, unrefined, stubborn to a point… made in accordance to one’s own appetite, far from traditional spoons and manners of eating; and you can be that way at home…
Chicken Marsala ~
~ Skirt in the Kitchen ~
Braise 10 bone-in chicken thighs (Prefer bone-in for more flavor, personal choice, even in this… ) in olive oil. But first, rinse chicken pieces, pat-dry with either a kitchen linen or with paper towels; salt and pepper to the utmost, coarse-grained… also more flavor than fine-grained salt and pepper. Work in batches…
Slice the leek in half, length-wise, and separate the inward parts enough to wash clean to rid of any sand; dry and slice thin.
Mince 1 whole white onion, then wash and slice thinly 1 pablano pepper…
When all the chicken thighs have been braised, deglaze the Dutch oven with Marsala. Scrape bits from the bottom. If you do not have Marsala on hand and you just happen to have the Marsala cooking wine, use that; but I’d go with the full quality, buy Marsala to keep it on hand to cook with.
Now saute the onion, leek and pablano, stirring often. Add the garlic, 1 or 2 cloves, depending on size, — towards the end of sauteing.
Fry or oven-bake 4 slices of apple bacon, not to a crisp.
Brush off dirt specks from 1 pound of portabella mushrooms; add them, whole,
right at the end of sauteing…
Dump drained, 1 can, artichokes over all, along with 1 4-ounce can of green chilies and cut or torn (soft) cooked bacon into a roasting pan. There is no need to salt and pepper, the chicken carries the amount needed of salt & pepper providing you salted and peppered well before braising the chicken.
Pour, lightly, Marsala over all of it; plus, a little amount of chicken broth. Do not over-do it. Cover with aluminum foil and place in a pre-heated oven of 225 degrees F. Bake for 1 hour, covered and left alone.
After an hour has passed, pull back the foil, spoon over chicken thighs, turning them to coat with juices. Leave the foil off the roaster to cook uncovered after the next 30 minutes cranking up the oven to 400 degrees F.
Keep turning the chicken, nursing it every 20 minutes or so. You may need to add more chicken broth, but very little.
Cook orzo on the stove, al dente, then spoon it into the roasting pan with the chicken, but do not add to much just so it does not soak up all the juices. The orzo is a compliment to the meal, though added in, not the star of the main coarse… Toss all of it, gently, and check for doneness and preference of browning, making sure that the chicken stays moist.
The aroma marries with the flavors of this dish; you will try it again and again for it being exceptional in taste and texture, a favorite of Skirt in the Kitchen recipes…
Leave a Reply