Oswald Rivera

Author, Warrior, and Teacher

Category: poultry (page 1 of 7)

PECHUGAS DE POLLO CON VINO (Chicken Breasts with Wine)

July 8, 2025 / / 0 Comments

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:

  1. Wash chicken breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. 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.
  3. Heat olive oil in a large frypan or skillet over medium-high heat.
  4.  Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
  5.  Add chicken breasts and cook until browned.  Again, 2-3 minutes for boneless and 3-4 minutes for bone-in.
  6.  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.

PATAS DE POLLO EN SALSA DE HONGO (Chicken Legs in Mushroom Sauce)

April 22, 2025 / / 0 Comments

Chicken is beloved in our family and, when combined with mushrooms, it’s a meal fit for royalty. It was so when we lived in Harlem, and it so today. Patas de Pollo en Salsa de Hongo, or Chicken Legs in a Mushroom Sauce epitomizes this ethos. Among other things, with chicken it gives added protein, and, with mushrooms, it enhances the immune system. Also, it’s meal that’s rich and comforting. You can’t go wrong with this one. It pairs well with rice or a good loaf of bread or, as we did it, with spaghetti. However you serve it, this is a dish that’s versatile and delicious. What more could you want?

PATAS DE POLLO EN SALSA DE HONGO
(Chicken Legs in Mushroom Sauce)

Ingredients:

4 chicken legs, about 3 pounds
Salt and black ground pepper to taste
1 tablespoon dried oregano
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, peeled and slice thinly
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 red pepper (pimento), washed and sliced thinly
1-pound mushrooms, washed and sliced thinly
½ cup   chicken broth
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon heavy cream

instructions:

1. Rinse chicken legs under cold running pat dry with paper towels.
2. Rub legs with salt pepper and oregano
3. Heat olive oil in large skillet or frypan over medium heat.
4.  Add chicken legs and cook skin side down until well browned, about 6 minutes. Turn chicken and cook on opposite sides until browned, about 5 minutes longer.
5. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft and translucent.
6. Add red pepper and cook for about 2 minutes. Add mushrooms and stir-fry until they’re browned.
7. Mix chicken broth and cornstarch and add to skillet. Cook, stirring, until thickened. Note that, during this
this time, the mushroom will also release their moisture. That’s why we’re using only ½ cup liquid. If sauce  has not thickened enough, you can add more cornstarch mixed with more water, if desired.
8.  Add cream, lower heat and cook until chicken legs are tender and soft, about 10-15 minutes more.
Yield: 4 servings.


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BASIL HONEY ROASTED CHICKEN (OR TURKEY))

January 6, 2025 / / 0 Comments

 

This is one of those recipes where you can use either chicken or turkey breasts. So, whatever is convenient or available, go for it. The two main ingredients to this dish are basil and honey. Combined, they give a flavor texture that is a delight. Basil is a member of the mint family; and when paired with honey it makes a combination that is truly wonderful. And nothing could be simpler and easier to make, and delicious.

In Nuyorican cuisine we pair this dish with rice and, sometimes, pasta. This time around we did it with couscous, and it was great. That’s the beauty of this recipe: you can pair it with your favorite grain, or even mashed or boiled potatoes. The possibilities are endless, and you’re the boss.

BASIL HOENY ROASTED CHICKEN OR TURKEY

Ingredients:

4 chicken or turkey breasts
1 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup honey
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
3 tablespoons soy sauce
¼ cup orange juice
2 tablespoons fresh basil or 1 teaspoon dried

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
  2.  Lightly oil, salt and pepper chicken or turkey,
  3.  Place breasts on roasting pan or cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes. Let me state that we prefer roasting in a cast iron, but any good roasting pan will do.
  4.  While the chicken or turkey is roasting, add all the other ingredients except basil in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer for 3 minutes.  Allow it to cool for a minute and add the basil.
  5. When the chicken or turkey comes out of the oven, brush with the honey glaze.
  6.  Turn oven down to 250 degrees and bake for 7 minutes or until meat reaches 160 degrees (using an oven meat thermometer). Allow breasts to rest for a few minutes before serving.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

PECHUGA DE PATO (Duck Breasts)

November 7, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Duck is a special  meal to us, particularly duck breasts. Back on the block it wasn’t something we had often. It was usually reserved for when we wanted something ‘grand.’  In our family, when we cooked duck breasts, we liked it cooked medium or medium-well. Then I discovered that most people, especially gourmet types, like it medium-rare. I could never understand that. To me, medium-rare duck breasts meant they were still soaking in blood on the plate. To us that was a turn-off. We usually cooked duck breasts to about 140 degrees F. And it worked for us. If you like it rare or medium-rare then cook it to that temperature, normally 135 degrees F.  We’re all in agreement that if your duck breasts hits a temperature above 145 degrees or 150°, the meat will be too dry and resemble shoe leather. Although, believe it or not, I’ve come across individuals who like it well done. To each his own.

This time we serve the duck atop parsley rice, and it was perfect. Some like it with roasted potatoes. Whatever accompaniment you use, it will definitely satisfy.

PECHUGA DE PATO
(Duck Breasts)

Ingredients:

4 duck breasts (4 to 6 ounces each)
Salt and pepper to taste
3 tablespoons dry white wine

Instructions:

  1. About an hour before cooking, remove the duck breasts from the refrigerator and their packaging. Rinse under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels. Using a sharp knife, make 3 to 4 parallel shallow cuts into the skin, but not through it, in one direction. Then make 3 to 4 shallow cuts in the opposite direction, making a cross hatch or diamond pattern.
  2. Sprinkle salt over the duck breasts and then massage it onto the skin and into all the cuts . Flip it over and season the meat side with both salt and pepper.
  3. Place  duck breasts skin side down  in a cold cast-iron pan.  Starting in a cold pan helps the fat render out without burning the skin. Note: Do not  use non-stick pans, as they don’t like the high temperatures you want to sear meat with. Cast iron or steel, in this case, is the best.,
  4. Get the pan on the stove on medium heat. We won’t need to add any oil because the duck will cook in its own fat. Cook on the first side for 6 to 8 minutes. After 6 to 8 minutes, the pan will have filled with an amount of fat from the skin. The skin should be a  dark golden-brown.
  5. Flip the breasts and cook for 3 to 4 minutes more. Cook until the breasts are plump and register 135°F (for medium-rare) or 140° (for medium) in the thickest part of the breasts. Also, at this point I like to add 3 tablespoons dry white wine and cook it for a minute more. I find that this really enhances the flavor of the duck breasts. If you prefer medium-rare, you can skip this part.
  6. Remove the duck breasts to a clean plate or cutting board and let rest skin side up for about 5 minutes. A duck breast is just like a steak,  resting allows the juices to redistribute and the meat to reach the correct temperature.
  7. Slice the duck breasts on the diagonal and serve with any accumulated juices on the resting plate. You will also note  that there will be some duck fat left on the pan. Some aficionados consider this “liquid gold” that can be used in other dishes where a rich sauce is indicated. For example, cooking vegetables such as potatoes in the duck fat will render a delicious and savory dish. You can also add it to  a grain, like rice or couscous, to give it that extra “oomph.”
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN BREASTS

September 5, 2024 / / 0 Comments

This recipe is simply chicken breasts cooked with three  ingredients popular in Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Cuisine: cumin, coriander and turmeric. For lack of a better name, I call it Mediterranean Chicken Breasts. I guess you could also named it Middle Estern Chicken Breasts. Your choice. It’s all the same, chicken seasoned with the three ingredients.  It’s my own idea, although I recon somebody else out there may have thought of it before I did. If so, more power to them.

The dish is easy enough: seasoned chicken breasts with the cumin, coriander and turmeric and cook in olive oil and butter. Finally, add a little wine to it. I prefer red wine, but I figure white wine will be just as good. It’s a matter of what flavor you like. I served this dish with rice, but any  grain will do, or even your favorite type of pasta, be it stringed or tubular.

So, impress family and friends with this one. It will be a festive meal, and a festive table.

MEDITERRANEAN CHICKEN BREASTS

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, about 8-10 oz. each
½ teaspoon ground cumin
½ teaspoon ground coriander
½ teaspoon ground turmeric
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons red wine (can use white wine, if preferred)

Instructions:

  1. Rinse breasts under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Season with  cumin, coriander and turmeric, rubbing ingredients well into the skin.
  3. In a large skillet or sauté pan, heat olive oil and butter over medium heat. Add chicken breasts and cook 5 to 8 minutes per side until brown and cooked through
  4.  Add wine and cook over medium-high heat 2 minutes more.
  5.  Transfer to a serving platter and serve with pan juices.
    Yield: 4 servings.

 

MEATBALLS IN GRAVY

July 15, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Most Americans are familiar with meatballs but mainly as a pasta dish, as in spaghetti with meatballs. Yet have you ever considered meatballs without the  tomato sauce? And this is where today’s recipe comes in. It’s Meatballs  with Gravy. Simple, enjoyable, and quite delicious. You can serve this dish with buttered egg noodles, or give it an Asian slant and serve it over chow mein noodles. In our crowd, we prefer it with yellow Spanish rice. Either way you’ll have  a great lunch or dinner.

When preparing this entrée, forming the meatballs is what requires thought. In our family we love  BIG meatballs. By that, I mean the size of Spaulding hand balls. Some people like them even bigger. The size of the suckers depends on how large you want them. The recipe given below will  render 48 balls about 1-inch diameter. It will give you 17 balls if you prefer them larger, say 2-inch in diameter. You’re the boss. You you can make them as big as you like. It’s your show.

MEATBALLS IN GRAVY

Ingredients:

1½ pounds ground beef, chicken or turkey
1 medium onion, peeled and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
¾ cup bread crumbs
1 egg, slightly beaten
¾ teaspoon caraway seed
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ cup butter
¼ cup flour
3 bouillon cubes (chicken or beef)
2 cups water

Instructions:

1. In a bowl, combine meat, onion, garlic. bread crumbs, egg, caraway seed, salt and pepper. Mix well, and shape into meatballs whatever size you want (see reference above). I’ve discovered that the best way to form the meatballs is by shaping with wet hands. So, keep hands wet by dipping in water or rinsing under the faucet while making the meat balls.
2. Melt butter in a large skillet. Add meat balls and brown slowly over medium-low heat turning or shaking frequently to brown balls. Depending on size of meat balls, you may have to do this in batches. Once done, remove balls from skillet. Do not clean skillet, leave remaining butter in.
3. Stir flour into skillet. Add bouillon cubes and water.  Cook over medium-low heat until thickened and smooth. Add meatballs, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 5-8 minutes until meat balls are hot. Serve immediately with rice or pasta.
Yield: 6-8 servings.

 

 

 

 

CHICKEN PICCATA WITH ARTICHOKES

July 12, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Chicken piccata is nothing more than chicken breast cutlets, dredged in flour, browned, and served with a sauce of butter, lemon juice, capers, and either stock or white wine. It’s a dish that I love because of its piquant taste. For all you purists out there, piquant means food that has  a pleasant spicy taste.  With Piccata it’s a sharp taste and appetizing flavor. Being contrary, I attribute this to the lemon in the recipe. To me, chicken piccata means lemon piccata.

What I like about this recipe is that it includes another of my favorites: artichokes. It makes for a pleasing and delicious combination. And it’s great over orzo or any other small pasta shape for soaking up the delicious sauce. We did it, this time, over ditalini,  also referred to as tubettini because it’s shaped like a small tube. In some quarters it’s also known as “salad macaroni.” In my culture i.e. Nuyorican cuisine, it would undoubtedly be served over rice.

Let me add, giving credit where credit is due, this recipe comes Chicken Night (Weldon Owen , Inc.. 2014) by Kate Mcmillan

CHICKEN PICCATA WITH ARTICHOKES

Ingredients:

3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 1½ pounds
½ cup all-purpose flour
Salt and freshly ground pepper
3 tablespoons olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter at room temperature
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1 jar artichoke hearts, rinsed, drained and quartered
1 cup dry white wine
½ cup chicken broth
Juice of 1 lemon
2 tablespoons capers, rinsed and drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

  1. Cut chicken breasts in half through the thickness (as if you were going to open it like a book, but cut all the way through). Working 1 half at a time, place chicken between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and pound  with the flat side of a meat pounder or other flat-topped heavy metal object to a thickness of about ¼ inch.
  2.  Pour the flour onto a large plate and season it well with salt and pepper. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, shaking off excess. Warm 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large frying pan over medium heat until very hot but not smoking. Working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding, add the chicken and cook, turning once until golden brown on both sides and opaque throughout, about 4 minutes per side.
  3.  Return frying pan to medium-high heat; do not wipe the pan clean. Melt one tablespoon of the butter in the remaining one tablespoon olive oil. Add garlic and artichoke hearts and sauté until garlic is soft, about 1 minute. Stir in the wine, scraping up any browned bits on the bottom of the pan. Bring to a simmer and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 minutes. Stir in the broth, lemon juice and capers, Reduce heat to medium, bring to a gentle simmer, and whisk in the remaining 1 tablespoon butter. Cook, stirring until the sauce thickens slightly, about 5 minutes longer. Stir in the parsley. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  4. Return chicken to the pan and turn to coat each piece with the sauce. Cook just until is warmed  through,  about 2 minutes. Serve right away.
    Servings: 6

 

HOISIN CHICKEN

June 20, 2024 / / 0 Comments

Hoisin Chicken is a unique dish in the Chinese-American cooking lexicon in that it incorporates hoisin sauce as the major ingredient. In my young manhood, Chinese-American cooking was exemplified by soy sauce.  I remember that when my family went to Friday night diner in our favorite  Chinatown restaurant, we put soy sauce on everything—except dessert, which always consisted of peeled oranges. Our palette has grown sincx then.

In this recipe, we simmer chicken breasts  in a mix of hoisin sauce, dry sherry and, yes,  soy sauce along with the usual spices and bell pepper. Note that you can use whatever bell  pepper (or pimento) you prefer, be it green, red or yellow.. It’s an easy enough dish to prepare, and the usual accompaniment is rice. In lie of rice you can substitute whatever grain you like, be it couscous, quinoa or other, or even pasta. In which case we prefer string pasta such as soba noodles, linguine or spaghetti. But if you want to use penne, macaroni or radiatore, go right ahead. It’s your kitchen and you rule.

HOISIN CHICKEN

Ingredients:

¼ cup hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons dry sherry or sake
1 tablespoon soy sauce (or more if needed)
3 tablespoons peanut oil or olive oil
2 medium  green, red or yellow bell pepper, stemmed, seeded and slice about ¾-inch thick
2 clove garlic, peeled and minced
1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and finely grated
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, sliced crosswise ¾-inch thick
thinly sliced scallions for garnish

Instructions:

  1. In a small bowl stir together the hoisin, sherry and soy sauce. Set aside.
  2.  In a large skillet or frypan, heat oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add bell peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and beginning to brown, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic, ginger and pepper flakes. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 to 60 seconds.
  3.  Add chicken and cook, stirring until light brown and opaque throughout, 7-8 minutes. Add hoisin mixture and cook, stirring until sauce lightly thickens, 1-2 minutes.  Turn off heat and season with additional soy sauce, if needed.
  4.  Garnish with thinly sliced scallions and serve.
    Yield: 4-6 servings.

SAUCE ALEXANDRE

December 6, 2023 / / 0 Comments

Today’s recipe, Sauce Alexandre, is simply a mushroom and cream sauce that goes great over poached fish or chicken.

This is not Alexander Sauce, which contains flour, butter, cream, shrimp and crabmeat. Alexander Sauce is part of the French canon of continental sauces.  Sauce Alexandre may, or may not be in that rarified sphere.  I honestly don’t know. This recipe I got from a newspaper clipping years ago. If anyone has more info on this mysterious sauce, please let us know. What I know for a fact is that the sauce is delicious, as noted, specially when served over poached dishes.

Poaching fish or chicken isn’t a big deal. It’s a fairly simple procedure: in a large saucepan or skillet, add ½ cup white wine; ½ onion, peeled and sliced into thin rounds; 2 clove garlic, peeled and crushed; ¼ teaspoon salt; 1/8 teaspoon black pepper; ¾ teaspoon oregano and ½ lemon, sliced. Add 4 fish fillets or 2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breasts. Add at least 2 inches of water, and then fish or chicken. Heat over medium heat until water is steaming. Cover and poached for approximately 5 minutes for fish and 10 minutes for chicken. You can test the fish once the flesh flakes easily. As for the chicken, it’s done once an instant-read thermometer registers 165 degrees F. in the thickest part of the meat. Note that you can also  reserve the poaching liquid for later use, such  as a light broth or soup base, or you can use it in cooking rice, or with stir-fries vegetables.

SAUCE ALEXANDRE

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
1 cup chicken broth
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
½ pound mushrooms, washed and sliced thinly (about 3½ cups)
1 tablespoon spoon shallots, peeled and chopped
¼ cup dry whiter wine
1½ cups heavy cream

Instructions:

  1. Melt 3 tablespoons of the butter in a saucepan. Add flour, stirring with a wire whisk. When blended and smooth, add the chicken broth. stirring vigorously with the whisk. Season with salt and pepper, stirring occasionally, about 10 minutes. This is called a veloute.
  2.  Melt remaining 1 tablespoon butter in a large saucepan or skillet Add mushrooms, sprinkle with salt and pepper and cook, stirring, until the mushrooms give up their liquid. Stir in the shallots and cook until most of the liquid in the saucepan has evaporated.
  3.  Add the wine and cook until almost all of the wine is reduced. Add the veloute and cream. Stir to blend well. Bring to a boil, adjust seasoning if it needs more salt and/or pepper,
    Yield: About 2½ cups.

CHICKEN QUARTERS WITH BUTTER-VINEGAR DRESSING

September 22, 2023 / / 0 Comments

This is one of those recipes that I’ve created where terminology is left up to the individual. I call it Chicken Quarters with Butter-Vinegar Dressing. The dressing part is simple, just a mix of butter, cayenne pepper and red wine vinegar in which to coat the chicken. The chicken part is more complex. There are chicken thighs, chicken breasts and chicken drumsticks. We all know what they look like. But in my family, back on the block, we loved cooking chicken quarters. To us that was the part of the chicken that entail the drumstick and part of the chicken breast to which it was connected. What we did was cut these quarters from the chicken and cook them in various ways. Our favorite was having it baked and then sauced in the butter-vinegar mix. Yes, you can cook any chicken parts this way, but we enjoyed most the chicken quarters. Two chicken quarters can feed 4 people or, for big eaters, you can have four individual quarters. Now, as then, it’s an easy recipe to prepare with minimal ingredients and a taste that is scrumptious.

CHICKEN QUARTERS WITH BUTTER-VINEGAR DRESSING

Ingredients:

Chicken quarters as described above
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
Salt and black pepper to taste
3 tablespoons butter
¼ teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

Instructions:

  1. Wash chicken quarters under cold running water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. Place chicken in a bowl, drizzle with olive oil and season thoroughly with  garlic powder, oregano, salt and pepper. Let rest for 15 minutes for flavors to develop.
  3.  Meanwhile, preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place chicken skin side up in a baking dish or pan. Cook 15 minutes. Then turn over and cook another 15 minutes or until chicken is golden and crisp.
  4.  In a small pot or pan, melt butter with cayenned pepper over medium heat. Whisk in vinegar and remove from heat. Drizzle chicken with butter-vinegar dressing and serve.
    Yield: 2-4 servings, depending on the diner’s appetite and how many chicken pieces you cook.
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