Tapas : Chicken Albondigas (meatballs)

We had a tapas night the other day and was looking for chicken meatball recipes for those who don't eat beef or pork. I also needed something that didn't have tomatoes or peppers due to allergies of one of the guests. Needless to say it was a bit of a challenge and I couldn't find anything that met my needs exactly. However, I did find a great chicken recipe in a Lonely Planet cookbook called "Spain from the Source" (isbn: 9781760340766) that I used the the sauce for the base of the meatballs and it worked wonderfully!  I would suggest that you check out the book as I did remove all the flour from the recipe, I tend to avoid flour whenever possible.  I don't think I needed it but I did have to change a bit of how the sauce is thickened by blending in the onions because of skipping the flour.

So a bit about the original recipe, Gallina en Pepitoria (Chicken with almonds, saffron & onions)is based on Arabic cooking. Spain had a strong moorish influence and this dish was a favorite of Isabella II in the 19th century. She would visit Casa Ciriaco, a Madrid taberna to eat this dish. Gallina is the name for a older hen versus pollo which is a young chicken. So, to bring out the flavors of the meatball to be similar to a Gallina have a larger portion (or all) of ground leg meat over ground breast meat. My ratio was 70% leg with the rest breast meat but test out what works for you. If you use all leg meat, simmer for a longer period in the sauce, I just didn't have a lot of time which is why I had the breast meat in to bring a bit of "softness" without loosing the flavor.

Gallina En Pepitoria (tapas style)

• 1 - 1/2 pounds ground chicken
• 8 - 8 1/2 fl oz white wine (dry & a bit sweet)
• 8 - 8 1/2 fl oz water (make sure to use same amount as wine)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 6 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 2 bay leaves
• 2 oz ground almonds
• saffron, pinch
• 1 onion, sliced
• salt

1. In a large bowl, take the ground chicken, minced garlic, 1/4 cup parsley.  Mix and make meatballs, bite sized (about 2 teaspoons or a tablespoon of meat)
2. In a saucepan, put the wine, water, chicken stock, bayleaf, sliced garlic,  1/4 cup parsley, ground almonds, saffron - bring to boil and let simmer on a back burner. 
3. In a fry pan, take a bit of butter or olive oil and fry up the onion so it is lightly browned.  Add to sauce pan. 
4. Using same fry pan, add butter/oil as needed and start browning up and cooking the meatballs.
5. set meatballs to the side until all done. 
6. Take the sauce, pul out the bayleaf.  Blend to a nice uniform sauce.  It should be a nice saucy consistency.  Taste for salt and add to taste. 
7. Put meatballs and sauce together.  garnish with the rest of the parsley.  

Chicken in Catalan Ratatouille

So, as you may or may not know... chicken is my least favorite meat. I don't know why - since it seems to be everyone favorite meat. The default when you do not know what to cook. But for me, chicken takes the most effort. I think because it doesn't have a strong flavor.  could be? maybe?  Or perhaps, I'm just ornery and do not want to like what everyone else apparently loves.  Probably, the later.  *grin*

Well, I made this chicken dish and took some into work to give to a friend who LOVES chicken.  I took enough for her to share with her hubby... but she said it was so good she ate it all. I think that is the best part about cooking - the joy that people have in eating what I make.

So, a bit about this recipe. I have a cookbook I bought at Costco, after we came from Spain the first time around. We had loved the food and I saw this cookbook. For $10, how could I go wrong? And, it's a great buy. So far everything I've made from it has been wonderful - and for the most part I follow the recipe. sort-of.

The book is called: The Food of Spain

Now how can one go wrong with that? And, it has little stories about the food. Which I always find fun and interesting. This dish, is from Catalan. Hence, the alternate name for it Chicken in Catalan Ratatouille. Apparently, the Catalans say it is from Samfaina/Valencian. 

Both Catalan and Valencian food is considered Mediterranean cuisine. The food is based on a mixture of vegetables and meats - like paella - which are slow cooked to bring out the flavors. With Spain having both the European and the Moorish influences, the food is rich, warm and tasty - which is especially great as winter is coming to the Midwest. 

That being said - if you want the original recipe - go buy the book. ;)  They did have zucchini in this recipe that I didn't have at the time - but I would probably add it in for the next go.  Or another green vegetable.  As colors go, this one is very pretty - especially when you do the yellow bell peppers. Which always seem so bright and happy to me. 

Chicken in Samfaina sauce

1 whole chicken, cut into pieces*
1/4 cup butter 
2 large onions, chopped
1 small eggplant, peeled and cut into bite sized cubes
3 cloves garlic (I think there might have been more), crushed / minced
2 large bell peppers, cut into cubes (different colors is nice)
14 oz chopped tomatoes (puree of tomatoes works too)
1 bay leaf
2 tablespoons chopped oregano and parsley
1/2 cup white wine

Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Officially, you are suppose to brown the pieces - but I'm always too lazy.

Heat butter in a nice sized, deep frying pan/skillet. Add onions, cook for about 10 min until softened. Add garlic, eggplant and bell peppers. Cook for another 10 min or so.

Add wine and deglaze the pan (pulling up the brown bits). Add tomatoes, bay leaf, herbs. Add chicken. Bring to a boil - and then turn down to a simmer over low heat. Cook covered for about 45 min. Or until chicken is cooked and eggplant has softened / disappeared (depending on how small you chopped up the eggplant. I did really small so that the BF wouldn't find it. )

*note: I cut up the chicken legs into 2 parts at the joint, leaving them on the bone. The breast pieces, I cut up into four large cubes. While they will not cook exactly the same time, the breast pieces will cook a bit faster than the legs - the amount of liquid in the dish will keep everything nice and moist.