28
Aug

Recipe: Chicken Monterey

Hey there…I’m still here…I haven’t vanished and ran off to one of those reno hotels or anything! I’ve just been sick…and busy…and hot-flashing…and going crazy over stupid meds.

Anyhoo, I have a nice recipe to share today, which I adapted from one from the original Silver Palate Cookbook…still a classic after all these years!

I changed things a little by doubling the recipe, as the original only made 2-4 servings…this is a family-sized recipe, and it also makes for good leftovers if you don’t have a family. I also call for chicken thighs here, they are cheap and have more flavor than the white meat. I also did not give a specific amount of oil to be added, as the thighs are fattier, so you should use less olive oil here. Original recipe amounts would have been too much.

This is another one of those dishes that is better the second day, which is why I use the increased amounts.

Chicken Monterey

Ingredients:
Olive oil
5-6 pounds chicken thighs, bone-in, skin-on
Salt & pepper to taste
2 cups chopped yellow onions
One (1 pound) bag of baby carrots
8 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (or put through a garlic press)
2 cups chicken broth (can be canned or homemade)
1 cup orange juice
One (14 or so ounce) can plain diced tomatoes
Fresh or dried rosemary, to taste
2 sweet red bell peppers, cut into julienne
1 each of zucchini and yellow summer squash, sliced diagonally
Cooked egg noodles (the wide width is preferred here)

Method:
Heat some of the oil in a large pan (For this amount, I use a pan that looks something like this). A 6-8 quart Dutch oven will work very well here. Pat the chicken pieces dry, and season them on both sides with salt and pepper. Place the chicken in the pan, cook gently for 5 minutes, turn, and cook another five minutes. Do not crowd the pan, if you can’t fit it all in one layer, cook the chicken in batches.

Once the chicken has been par-cooked, remove it all to a plate and set aside. Preferably someplace where the cats can’t find it…LOL!

Add the onions, carrots, and garlic to the fat remaining in the pan, and cook, covered, over low heat, until the vegetables are soft. This should take 25-30 minutes.

Then add the broth, orange juice, tomatoes, and rosemary to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, simmer uncovered for about 15 minutes.

Now you want to return the chicken and any accumulated juices on the plate to the pan, with the sauce. It can all go in at once, even if it’s not in one layer. Simmer it in the sauce for 30-35 minutes, turning the chicken halfway through.

In a skillet, heat some more oil, and saute the pepper julienne for about 5 minutes. Add the zucchini and summer squash, season with salt & pepper, and saute for another five minutes. Then, using a slotted spoon, transfer the pepper/zucchini mixture to the pan with the chicken, and simmer it all together for another five minutes.

Serves 4-8 people.