Backpost: It’s a family classic. Someone is coming over for dinner? Resort to sauteed chicken, fusilli, and bell peppers. I was brought up with these ingredients and preparations and they’re amoung the most natural of things for me to make. My summer of 2008 was spent in Cincinnati, Ohio (a town very different from Austin, to say the least) and as I was away from home, experimentation was limited. So when company came to visit, out came this well-known and comfortable dish:
- Pasta sauces can be a succulent way to add flavour to pasta. But for a lighter and simpler alternative, try tossing it with some grated parmesan cheese, sauteed vegetables, and the olive oil you sauteed them in. The cheese will melt slightly and mix with the oil in a way that’s nothing short of delicious.
- When preparing the chicken, be sure to brown the chicken first with some butter (or Earth Balance, for a healthier alternative!) to sear the edges before adding the sherry. I’ve found, though, that adding a touch of sherry and mixing it with the butter as it’s heating (but there must still be more butter than sherry) gives the chicken an even nicer colour.
- When finishing the sauce to glaze the chicken with, the key is timing. Do NOT leave the pan as it begins to thicken, or you’ll miss the opportune moment- which will consist of a 15-20 second window- for getting just the right caramel-like consistency. When reducing, it’s sadly not like a video game- there’s no undo button or return to the reduction just before it burned or hardened, so if you’d like your sauce to not be runny, watch it like a hawk and wait- your patience will be rewarded!
