This is one of those favorites from back on the block. During my youth in Spanish Harlem (today, East Harlem), times were hard. So, we had to be innovative with dinners. Chicken Breasts, like rice, was a common staple—because it was cheap. And it supplied magic when it was prepared, as we’re doing today, by adding a bit of white wine. Pechugas de Pollo con Vino or, Chicken Breasts with White Wine, is a sumptuous dish. In terms of the wine used, I recommend a white wine like Pinot Grigio, Sauvignon Blank, Chardonnay, Chablis or Riesling. If you want to give it a distinct nutty taste and aroma, you can substitute a dry sherry for the white wine. The rest is as easy as pie. Just seasoned the breasts with typical Nuyorican herbs, fry the suckers and serve, Naturally, we serve it with rice, but any favorite grain or even, pasta, will do. Friends and family will yell for more. This is your show. So go at it.
Let me add that, when cooking chicken breasts, there is a minor difference between cooking bone-in chicken breasts and boneless, skinless chicken breasts. In our family, we were contrarians. We prefer bone-in chicken breasts. Again, it was partly a matter of price. Simply, they were cheaper. Also, since they had skin on, they were juicer and, to us, that meant a better taste. Be aware that boneless take less time to cook than bone-in. With boneless it’s about 2-3 minutes to fry per side. With bone-in it’s about 3-4 minutes per side. When you add the wine, the breasts are steamed until done. The finish product will still be delicious.
Pechugas de Pollo con Vino
(Chicken Breasts with Wine)
Ingredients
4 chicken breasts, bone-in or boneless (see above)
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 small to medium red onion, peeled and chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¼ teaspoon cumin
½ cup white wine
1/3 cup chicken broth or bouillon
Instructions:
- Wash chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
- Place chicken breasts on a large plate. Prick them all over with a fork, about 1/8 inch deep. Flip the breasts and repeat pricking the other side.
- Heat olive oil in a large frypan or skillet over medium-high heat.
- Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
- Add chicken breasts and cook until browned. Again, 2-3 minutes for boneless and 3-4 minutes for bone-in.
- Add cumin, wine and water. Stir to combine. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover and cook for 25 minutes. Remove lid and continue cooking until chicken is deep golden brown and juices run clear, About 4-5 minutes more.
Yield: 4 servings.
This is for bone-in: fry chicken until browned, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Reduce the heat to medium-low, cover, and cook for 25 minutes. Remove the lid and increase the heat to medium-high; continue cooking until chicken is deep golden brown and the juices run clear, about 5 more minutes.