This past Saturday I met up with my cousins for a hair date. We went to the salon I’ve been going to for years – Salon Vijin in Rockefeller Center. I had my usual – a haircut and highlights done for $180, not including gratuity. Anyway, after we got our hair done, we ate at my favorite Brazilian restaurant in NYC – Emporium Brasil. Dinner was excellent. I ordered the Copacabana Feast (Folhas, palmito, vegetais, camarão) – Assorted greens, hearts of palm, vegetables, shrimp – and Camarão com Champignon – Sautéed shrimp with portobello mushroom in wine sauce – paired with a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. All for about $25 – you can’t go wrong. If you’re there, try their Creme Brulee – delicious!
I wanted to cook something similar to an item I’ve seen on their menu – Chicken with Hearts of Palm sauce, but I didn’t have the right ingredients in my pantry. I came across a recipe for Frango ao Vinho on JustBrazil.org. Here’s my version:
Frango ao Vinho
D’Ingredients:
4 slices Bacon
4 Boneless Chicken Breasts
Salt and Black Pepper
Plain Flour for coating
Olive oil – enough for 2 swirls around the pan
1/4 cup of diced onions
1 cup Dry Red Wine – I used Cotes du Rhone
1/4 cup of Chicken Broth
1 teasp Dried Thyme
Instructions:
1. Heat a large frying pan until very hot, add the bacon and fry until crisp. Drain on kitchen paper the break into pieces and set aside.
2. Season the breasts with salt and pepper then coat well with flour.
3. Heat the olive oil in the frying pan, add the breasts and brown well on both sides. Remove from the pan and keep warm.
4. Add the onions, wine, stock and thyme to the frying pan and cook for 5-10 minutes or until the onion is soft and the sauce thickens.
5. Return the chicken to the pan and continue to cook for 15-20 minutes over low heat or until cooked through. Serve hot garnished with the crumbled bacon.
