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December Wine Recipe and Recipe Collection

Pollo al ajillo (Chicken with garlic)

Recipe Collection

 

Chicken may seem fairly ordinary, but until recently it was an expensive item in Spain. Not so long ago, this dish was a combination of poor man's ingredient (garlic) and a rich man's ingredient (chicken). It's now a classic tapa. The sauce you're left with -- an emulsified mixture of the olive oil, the natural juices of the chicken, and the sherry -- is perfect for dipping bread.

Serves 4

Ingredients:

  • 10 garlic cloves
  • 1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
  • 12 chicken wings cut in a half at the joint
  • 3 sprigs fresh thyme
  • 1 bay leaf
  • 1/4 cup Spanish Manzanilla sherry
  • 1/4 cup chicken stock
  • salt to taste
  • black pepper to taste
Split open the garlic cloves by placing them on a chopping board and pressing down hard with the base of your hand or with the flat side of a knife. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over a medium flame, add the garlic, and sauté until it is lightly browned, 3 to 4 minutes.

Add the chicken wings, and sauté until browned on all sides, 5 minutes. Add the thyme, bay leaf, and sherry. Stir the mixture well so the oil and sherry emulsify, and simmer for 1 minute. Add the chicken stock and cook for 1 more minute. Add salt and pepper to taste, and serve.

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