Generally, opposites attract. Despite this being the case, the last flavors anyone would ever expect to get from their meal are sweet and sour. Thankfully, here’s a recipe (Sicilian sweet and sour chicken recipe) that can enable you do not just that, but a lot more. To get started in preparing the best Sicilian sweet and sour chicken for your family, this is what you need to do:
Decide The Number Of People You’ll Be Preparing It For
If it’s your first time making this delicacy, it’s important that you start by preparing just a small portion. This is because other than reducing the chances of you messing up the whole meal, you’ll also spend minimal time getting everything ready. As such, we recommend that you start by preparing a meal for four.
Gather the Necessary Ingredients
To enable you make the perfect dish, you will need:
*) Four breast halves of boneless and skinless chicken
*) Four minced cloves
*) Three ribs of chopped celery
*) Three peeled and diced white skinned potatoes
*) Two tablespoons of raisins
*) Two finely chopped carrots
*) Two finely chopped roasted red pepper
*) Two tablespoons of light agave or acacia honey
*) One finely diced red onion
*) One minced red chili
*) A can or 28 ounces of hand crushed tomatoes
*) A handful of torn basil and another handful of chopped parsley
*) A tablespoon of freshly grounded pepper
*) Half a cup of dry white wine
*) Half a cup of pitted and coarsely chopped green Sicilian olives
*) A quarter cup of olive oil
*) A quarter cup of sherry or balsamic vinegar or red wine
*) A third cup of all purpose flour
*) A quarter cup of sliced almonds or toasted pine nuts
*) Crusty bread
*) Salt
Get It Ready
Start by taking a small dish, putting in the raisins and the white wine before setting it aside.
Use two plastic wraps to wrap the four chicken pieces and pound them into 1/4 inch thickness. Use salt and pepper to season them before dredging them into the flour.
Over medium high heat, heat two tablespoons of olive oil and add in the chicken. Let it cook for ten minutes or up until each side browns. When done, place them on a plate.
Deglaze the pan by adding in the white wine and raisins and letting it evaporate to 2-3 tablespoons. At this point, pour over the chicken. Go ahead and add in more olive oil, the red onion, celery, potatoes, carrots, garlic, chili pepper and more salt and pepper.
To help preserve the flavor and make the chicken soft, partially cover the pan and, stir occasionally – for the next 8-10 minutes. Then, add in the olives, vinegar, capers, roasted peppers, basil, tomatoes, parsley and honey and bring them to bubble. You should further let it all simmer for another 20 minutes, but under medium heat.
Serve
Sicilian sweet and sour chicken is best served in shallow bowls. To wow your family or guests, you can go ahead and garnish it with tomato skin roses and sprinkle a few of the chopped parsley. You may also pass bread for mopping.
Image Credit: istockphoto.com
