Chicken and Eggplant Ragout
Travel pushes me to look at my own life in a new way and I think that may be its biggest payoff. Certainly in the moment, when I’m walking the streets, smelling the smells and hearing the sounds I am blissfully happy to be right there, right smack-dab in the middle of Madrid. But, back home in Wisconsin I find myself looking for ways to relive the Spanish experience. As soon as I walked in the house and surveyed the empty refrigerator I began to imagine meals with a Spanish influence…nothing overt…no big productions, just a little bit of flavor here and there.
A quick stop at the market replenished our refrigerator with fresh fruit and vegetables and even provided a gorgeous eggplant. Not wanting to let my Spanish vibe slide away I concocted a quick meal that actually succeeded in recreating a bit of the Spanish flavor. I applied liberal amounts of olive oil, lemon juice, and spices to a ragout of chicken, eggplant, and chickpeas. Served alongside some steamed rice it was a pleasant meal for a weary traveler. The flavors were bright and balanced and it’s easy to put together…perfect for a week night supper.
Chicken and Eggplant Ragout
(printer-friendly recipe)
2 chicken breast (boneless), diced
1 medium eggplant, diced
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1/2 small onion, minced
1/2 tsp allspice
1/2 tsp ginger
1 tsp allepo pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/3 cup green olives, rough chopped
1/2 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil, wait 30 seconds and add the chicken. Saute until lightly golden, add the lemon juice and stir. Add the onion, allspice, ginger, allepo pepper, and paprika and saute for a few minutes. Add the eggplant, tossing to mix it into the chicken mix, cover and let it simmer for 5 minutes or so until the eggplant is almost cooked through. Add the chick peas and olives and simmer for about 5 minutes, taste for seasoning and adjust. Serve over steamed rice.
Madrid – we ate the whole thing
Our week in Madrid was fabulous. I loved London, Paris was perfect, but Madrid is so cool. Maybe it was the sunny days and warm temps, maybe it was the excellent afternoon siestas, or perhaps it was just a laid back holiday with a lot of really good food. Whatever…we all enjoyed it. An absolute favorite afternoon activity was sitting on the Plaza Santa Ana quaffing cerveza and eating our way through several plates. This wood fired octopus was a favorite with a slightly smoky, sweet flavor that didn’t infringe on the fresh ocean flavor of our favorite cephlapod.
We ordered a salad once because we felt the need to balance out the fish, cheese, sausages, jamon, etc. Funny how the salads come layered with all those things we’re trying to balance against. Naturally we kept ordering salads because they were so delicious.
Obviously the Manchego cheese and Iberian Serrano Jamon was superb. We sampled many fine examples of these regional specialties…it was such a hardship, but we managed.
This simple dish of boiled potatoes dressed with garlic aioli was a favorite and matched up perfect with the cold cerveza. This will definitely be on my list to make here at home.
Empanadas were always a fun thing to order because we had no idea what they would be stuffed with. This one is stuffed with salmon…very tasty.
Each morning we shuffled out to the nearby Cafeteria y Churroteria where we would down multiple cups of cafe con leche as we savored the delicious sweet intensity of Spanish morning pastries. This one is my favorite and and it’s known as the Churro Relleno Dulche de Leche. It was the most intense pastry every…a dulche de leche bomb. I’m already thinking about how I can make something like this at home…after I spend a few weeks at the gym.
