Pollo con Puerros y Champiñones (Chicken with Leeks and Mushrooms)

Pollo con Puerros y Champiñones

Sometimes the simplest meals are the tastiest as the people from Extremadura claim. This autonomous region in Spain still remains the "undiscovered" community. Even many Spaniards who are savvy and proud of their country and heritage are unfamiliar with the area, other than what is stated in history books. It's one of the country's most sparsely populated regions and there was no major road or rail system to reach much of the area until fairly recently. Situated in the central western portion of Spain, along the Portuguese boarder, the inhabitants are of Celtic and not Iberian origin and resided here long before the Roman Empire conquests.

Extremadura is sometimes called the "Kingdom of the Conquistadores." Cortés, and Pizarro, are just two of many who have hailed from Extremadura. Many towns and cities in the New World carry a name from the discoverers’ homeland. Who hasn't heard of Mérida, in Mexico or Venezuela? Alternatively, the second largest city in Colombia, Medellin, is contained as a smaller version in Extremadura. Even Albuquerque, New Mexico, holds a legacy to this remote region. Evidence of Extremadura’s turbulent past oozes from the walls of countless medieval castles, and monuments, as it was frequently a battlefield in the Spanish wars with Portugal.

Leeks
The flavors and varieties of Spain's cuisine offer overwhelming choices. However, in the pueblo kitchens of Extremadura, fare tends to be simple and unpretentious, and that's not a bad thing at all. The land in this area is fertile and most food is home grown. The changing cornucopia of fruits and vegetables sets the menu of the day and are used to enhance the staples such as chicken, lamb and ham. The freshness of the produce is what makes it very special. In Extremadura, the vegetable of choice to add an extra zest of flavor year-round is the leek, a relative of the onion.

Pollo con puerros y champiñones is so simple and quick to put together, you'll want to make it for tonight’s dinner.

Mushrooms

Serves 4

Ingredients:
2 chicken breasts
1/4 lb. of leek sprouts (chopped up into pieces)
2/3 lb. of mushrooms (cut up into thin slices)
2 medium yellow onions (cut into thin strips)
4 cloves of garlic (sliced)

4 teaspoons of black pepper
4 tablespoons virgin olive oil
Lemon and salt

For breading:
4 tablespoons of flour.
4 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 beaten egg
1 cup of olive oil for frying

Directions:
1) Heat the olive oil in a skillet until hot. Place the onions in and sliced garlic into it.
2) Add the mushrooms and chopped leek sprouts. Add a pinch of salt and leave on the stove to cook covered about 5 or 10 minutes.
3) When completed remove the mixture to a colander and drain it.
4) Cut the chicken breasts in half and make a pocket in each. Fill the pocket with a small portion of this mixture. The mixture is not a stuffing but only used to add more flavor to the chicken.
5) Dredge the chicken in the egg, and then the flour mixed with breadcrumbs. Add the chicken by using tongs to a pan with hot oil to fry.
6) When the chicken pieces are a deep golden brown, remove them and place them in an oven proof casserole dish. Sprinkle chicken with pepper.
7) Add the balance of the cooked leeks, onions and mushrooms over the top and place the dish into a preheated set at 350 F for 15 minutes. Stir the chicken occasionally so it does not burn on the bottom.
8) Serve the chicken breasts along with the juices from the roast and a bouquet of leeks, onions and mushrooms over each. Place lemons at the side.