Spanish Chicken

The Columbus Dispatch is arguably one of the worst papers in the world: poorly written with a blatant political slant, it makes most weekly small-town papers look like The New York Times. The exception--at least 16 years ago, when we lived in Ohio--was the food section. Over the course of our five years there, I must have clipped two dozen recipes from the "Dog Patch." I've lost a lot of them over the years, but a few have become family standards.

This is one of the latter, written by Sue Dawson. The original recipe called for whole chicken cut up, but I like it better this way, as it shortens the browning period and is less messy. The combination of sweet peppers, salty ham, moist chicken and slight heat is what makes this dish so memorable.

Spanish Chicken (Pollo en Chilindron)

1-1.5 lbs boneless chicken breast, cut into one-inch pieces

1 thick slice of ham (1/4 lb or more) diced

2 TB olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 large onion, coarsely chopped

1 large sweet red pepper, chopped

1 can diced tomatoes, half-drained

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1/2-1 teaspoon salt

3-5 good cranks on the pepper grinder

1. Heat half the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Brown chicken lightly. Be careful not to overcook. You should still see some pink at this point.
2. Remove chicken and set aside. Add garlic, onions, sweet pepper, hot pepper, and ham to the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the onions are beginning to soften. Again, do not overcook.
3. Return chicken to the pan. Mix, adding salt and pepper. Add tomatoes.
4. Cook on medium to medium low heat for 20-25 minutes, until chicken is cooked through and the liquid starts to evaporate. Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Serve immediately with rice or potatoes.

Family Ratings

Will, who likes chicken: 9

Lucy, who likes ham: 10

Jamie, who likes (how weird is this for a five-year-old?) red peppers: 10

Ellen and Paul (who like things that taste good): 10