Chicken with almond sauce

Serves two

• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pitta bread (pre-baked, 25 g)
• 50 g chopped almonds
• 2 chicken legs (organic)
• peper, salt
• plain flour
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp chili powder
• 1 chopped onion
• 1 chopped clove garlic
• 100 ml dry white wine
• about 125 ml water

Side dish

• potatoes
• haricots verts
• olive oil
• red onion in rings
• garlic sliced
• smoked bacon in cubes
• cumin seed

Pollo con almendras is a dish from the extremely interesting cuisine of Córdoba. The town that once – during the reign of Calif ‘Abd-ar-Rachman in 10th century – was the most important place in the world. Remaining are the splendid Mezquita (once a magnificent Mosque), beautiful Spaniards and an art of cooking with a still discernable Middle Eastern influence. It is stated that the Romans, who once subjected the country, also contributed to the cuisine, but the sauce in this dish is definitely Arabic. The use of cinnamon with chicken is Arabic too, but the wine is of course a Spanish element, just as the chili powder.

• Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a non stick frying pan. Crumble the bread and sauté it with the almonds until light brown. Ladle into a measuring jug. Wipe the pan clean.
• Heat the rest of the oil. Season the chicken legs with pepper and salt, dust with flour and cook until light brown. Sprinkle with cinnamon and chili. Add onion and garlic, sauté for a moment.
• Put the chicken legs with the round side under in a microwave dish. Pour the wine over the meat. Cook it covered with a microwave cap or clingfilm for 10 minutes at about 500 W. Afterwards keep chicken warm in a flameproof dish.
• Pour the chicken-wine into the frying pan. Let boil for a moment. Pour this liquid into the measuring jug, add the water and with a hand blender mix it into a smooth sauce with bread and almonds. Maybe you will need some more water.
• To serve: pour the sauce under the chicken, garnish with parsley.

 

Side dish: Judías verdes con patatas.

• Boil potatoes and beans until done. Fry onion rings in olive oil with smoked bacon and some cumin seed. Warm potatoes and beans for 5 minutes in  this mixture

 

Wine: Red Rioja

 

Menu suggestion

• Starter : Ensalada Cordobesa. Arange onto leaves of cabbage lettuce: tuna from a tin, small tomatoes, green olives, hard-boiled egg, green pepper, vinaigrette.
• Dessert: Melon con vino. Reduce 100 ml water with 1 cinnamon stick and 1 tbsp sugar to half. Cool. Mix with 100 ml white wine and 2 tbsp cognac. Scoop little balls from a small melon. Mix with the cinnamon wine in a bowl. Cover and cool.