I always thought there was a classical French cuisine component to this dish. Reason being, it’s partly cooked in a rich white sauce which gives it that smooth, creamy texture. But it has that Caribbean slant to it: we prepare it with rum; and by that I mean Puerto Rican rum. The best there is.

It’s simple enough: halve the chicken breasts, season, dredge in flour and fry until lightly browned. Then simmer with heavy cream. That’s it. The secret ingredient is that you flame the chicken with dark rum to give it that unique taste. Don’t worry about getting tipsy on the booze. The alcohol content disappears and only the sweet rum flavor remains.

Enjoy this one. You won’t be disappointed.

 

PECHUGA DE POLLO CON RON (Chicken Breasts with Rum)

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, boned
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
4 tablespoons butter
¼  cup dark rum
1 cup heavy cream
1 teaspoon paprika

Instructions:

 1. Rise chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
2. Halve chicken breast, sprinkled with salt, pepper and thyme. Dredge the halves in flour to coat them lightly.
3. Heat butter in a heavy skillet or frying pan over medium heat, adding more butter as needed. Add breasts and sauté until lightly browned
(they do not need to be cooked through to the center).
4. Heat the rum, pour over the breasts and ignite with a match. Add cream, cover skillet and simmer on low heat for 10 minutes. Add paprika and season to taste. Arrange the breasts on a warmed serving platter. Strain the sauce remaining in the skillet over the chicken  and  serve.
Yield: 4 servings.