Tapas - Spanish-Style Garlic Chicken Wings

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is a simple recipe meant for those who enjoy chicken wings but would like to find a healthier way to prepare them. The wings are marinated and baked in a typically Spanish fashion and they are almost effortless to prepare, especially if you have your butcher break down the wings for you. The wings are at their best when allowed to marinate for eight hours or more before they go into the oven. They do not have the heat of Buffalo wings, but they are enormously flavorful and can be served with a hot sauce if that is more to your liking. I do hope you'll keep this recipe on your radar. Those of you who make the wings will not be disappointed. They would be great for a game day get-together. Here is how they are made.

Peruvian Salt Roasted Shrimp with Pimenton Aioli

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...I had planned to do a lot of Peruvian cooking before our October Amazon adventure began, but it seems the universe, or at least the clock, has conspired against me. I've only made a few of the dishes I intended to try, but, hopefully, they'll give the Silver Fox and me a real sense of what's to come. The recipe I'm featuring tonight came from an article written by John Broening for The Denver Post. The recipe, and the unusual technique used to cook the shrimp, was given to him by an uncle who lives in Peru, where the dish would be made with langoustines. In order to make this dish, you'll need a cast iron skillet, large unpeeled shrimp and a boatload of Kosher salt. The shrimp go into a hot skillet to which no oil has been added. They are covered with kosher salt and allowed to cook for several minutes on each side. As they cook, the salt forms a crust that keeps the shrimp super moist and flavorful. The shells, which remain on the shrimp as they cook, keep them from becoming too salty. Once they are cool enough to handle, the salt is brushed off and the shrimp are peeled. They are served with a fabulous quick-fix aioli that I know you will enjoy. This is a wonderfully flavorful dish that almost had my socks going up and down. I am withholding that accolade only because peeling the cooked shrimp is a real bother. I liked this dish enormously and I'll fix it again. I think those of you who try the shrimp will like them as much as I do. Here's the recipe.

Peruvian Salt Roasted Shrimp with Pimenton Aioli...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of John Broening and the Denver Post

Ingredients:
Pimenton Aioli
Juice of 1 lemon
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon sweet smoked paprika
1 teaspoon hot sauce
Salt and pepper
1 cup canola oil
Salt Roasted Shrimp
2 pounds jumbo shrimp, unpeeled, intestine removed
2 cups kosher salt
Lemon wedges

Directions:
1) To make aioli: Purée lemon juice, egg yolks, garlic, paprika, hot sauce, and salt and pepper in a food processor. Add canola oil slowly with processor running to emulsify. Refrigerate aioli, covered, until ready to use.
2) To make shrimp: Heat a large cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Working in batches, add enough shrimp to fill pan so the pan is full but the shrimp are not touching. Generously sprinkle exposed surface of shrimp with salt and cook for three minutes. Turn, and sprinkle with a little more salt. Cook 2 minutes and remove to a platter. Repeat procedure until all shrimp are cooked. Serve family-style with smoked paprika aioli and lemon wedges. Yield: 6 to 8 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Chocolate Ice Box Pie

Two Years Ago Today: Hannibal's Roasted Tomato Pilaf

Three Years Ago Today: Chocolate Hazelnut Pie with Vanilla Cream

Smoky Chicken and Potato Casserole

From the kitchen of One Perfect Bite...This is the first quiet day I've had this month. Between visitors and a PAC commitment, time has been hard to come by, and I am woefully behind in my reading and correspondence. Hopefully, I'll be caught up and back on schedule by this weekend, so please bear with me for another day or so. I rarely feature recipes from magazines that are still on newsstands, but I made several exceptions this month. A handful of dishes caught my eye and I wanted to try them while we had visitors here. Tonight's casserole, which appears in the September issue of Family Circle Magazine, was well received and I thought it was worth sharing, especially with those of you who are actively seeking new recipes to try for your families. The main components of this dish pair well together, but, make no bones about it, the star of the casserole is the smoked paprika. If you are a fan of its robust flavor you'll really enjoy this meal, though it will be a hard sell to younger children. Information regarding smoked paprika can be found, here. The casserole can be assembled in about 15 minutes and on the table in less than an hour. If you follow the instructions, this is a foolproof meal. That makes it a perfect choice for a busy weeknight dinner. I enjoyed this and will be making it again because it is so easy to do. Here's the recipe.

Smoky Chicken and Potato Casserole...from the kitchen of One Perfect Bite courtesy of Family Circle Magazine

Ingredients:
1-1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
1-1/2 pounds baking potatoes, unpeeled, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1 sweet onion, cut into 8 wedges
1 green pepper, cored, seeded and cut into 1/2-inch strips
4 cloves garlic, sliced
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 teaspoons smoked paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 lemon, cut into wedges, plus more for serving (optional)
1/2 cup parsley, chopped

Directions:
1) Heat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a 13 x 9 x 2-inch baking dish with nonstick cooking spray.
2) Add chicken, potatoes, onion, green pepper and garlic. Toss with olive oil and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Squeeze lemon wedges over top and scatter wedges over casserole.
3) Bake, uncovered, for 30 minutes or until chicken reaches 160 degrees . Stir once after 20 minutes.
4) Scatter parsley over top. Serve with additional lemon, if desired. Yield: 4 servings.

One Year Ago Today: Scandinavian-Style Cucumber Pickle

Two Years Ago Today: Chapatis and Pooris

Valencian Chicken

I've been cooking for years and tried thousands of recipes - most just one time. Repeats are unusual and those that have endured the vagaries of time and trend number less than a hundred. This one is a survivor. It has been adapted, over time, from a Spanish recipe popularized by Annemarie Huste in the 70's. I love the meld of flavors that come from the orange-sherry, olive-raisin combinations in this dish. The raisins provide a hint of sweetness, the degree of which depends on the type of raisin used. I prefer Malaga, but California raisins will do nicely. A dubious bit of cooking lore to share with you - legend has it that the first raisin crop was the result of a heat wave so intense it dried grapes on the vine. Another fascinating fact, this one true - I've done repeated personal field testing so I can attest to its veracity - a raisin dropped in a glass of fresh champagne will bounce up and down continually from the bottom of the glass to the top and down again. Try it, you'll see I speak with an unforked tongue, plus it's a great excuse for champagne. I always plump raisins; they act as sponges in their dry state but if they're soused before cooking your sauces will be more predictable. The microwave has made short order of this task and can be used if your recipe does not give instructions for plumping. Simply put the raisins in a microwave container with 2 teaspoons of water and nuke, lightly covered, for 1 minute on HIGH power and you're done. Use a dry sherry and fresh orange juice to assemble the sauce for this entrée and you're on your way to a visually spectacular peasant feast. I know you'll enjoy this one.

Valencian Chicken

Ingredients:
1/2 cup Malaga or California raisins
1/2 cup Spanish pimento stuffed olives, quartered
1 teaspoon freshly grated orange zest
1 cup fresh orange juice strained to remove pulp
1 cup dry Spanish sherry
3 beef bouillon cubes
2 teaspoons minced garlic
3 teaspoons chopped cilantro
6 to 8 bone-in chicken thighs, skin removed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon sweet smoked Spanish paprika (pimenton)
2 tablespoons olive oil
Garnish:
2 tablespoons toasted almond slivers
2 tablespoons pimento
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
1 orange slice

Directions:
1) Combine raisins, olives, orange zest, juice, sherry, bouillon cubes and garlic in a medium saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Remove from heat. Set aside.
2) Combine flour, salt, pepper and 1 tablespoon paprika in a 1-gallon zip-top baggie. Shake to combine. Add chicken, a piece at a time, and shake to coat. Set aside.
3) Heat olive oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet set over medium-high heat. When oil begins to shimmer add chicken and saute until brown, about 5 minutes per side. Transfer chicken to a plate. Stir in reserved 1 teaspoon paprika. Pour sauce into skillet; use a wooden spoon to release fond from bottom of pan. Return chicken to pan; bring sauce back to a simmer and cook, covered, over medium heat for 20 minutes, turning once to prevent sticking. Using a slotted spoon, transfer chicken to a serving platter; tent with foil to keep warm. Bring sauce to a boil and cook rapidly until it becomes syrupy. Spoon over chicken. Sprinkle with almonds, pimento and cilantro. Twist orange slice to form a wheel and place in center of platter. Yield: 4 to 6 servings.