Recipe Background
Spanish Garlic Chicken: Relive travel memories with a simple, flavorful dish.
Transitioning from my well-loved dorm room to my first apartment felt monumental. With a new space came the urge to fill it with comforting aromas and flavors, like those from my semester abroad in Spain. A favorite was Spanish Garlic Chicken, where those ten cloves of garlic, tender and smashed, brought a nostalgic warmth that reminded me of late-night tapas with my host family. Chicken, boneless and cut into bite-size pieces, made it simple, yet packed full of flavor.
Olive oil sizzled quietly as I seasoned the chicken on a borrowed skillet, the aroma of dried thyme and rosemary mingling with the air, transporting me back to cobblestone streets. I always found that letting it rest for a few minutes ensured the flavors melded perfectly, allowing the sherry to surprise with its unique depth. That little pouring of sherry, borrowed from my roommate’s collection, completed the transformation of my small kitchen into a Spanish getaway.
Each bite was accompanied by stories of my travels, shared over a mismatched dining set, a testament to my hapless moving day. I learned another trick to make the garlic sing: smashing it gently before adding it to the pan. A sprinkle of chopped parsley on top, lush and green, offered a fresh accent that made it easy to imagine sitting on a sunlit terrace, despite my four brick walls. It wasn't just the dish that turned out beautifully—it was the beginning of home.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2-2 pounds chicken boneless and cut into bite-sized pieces
- kosher salt to taste
- black pepper to taste
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 10 cloves garlic peeled and smashed
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary
- 2 dried bay leaves
- 1/3 cup sherry
- fresh parsley optional, to taste, chopped, for garnish
Directions
- Season the chicken pieces evenly with the salt and the black pepper.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat, add the olive oil.
- Add the chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook, while stirring, until the chicken pieces begin to brown, about 3-4 minutes. Make sure the chicken pieces are not crowded.
- Add the smashed garlic, the thyme, the rosemary, and the bay leaves to the chicken pices and stir to combine.
- Put a lid on the skillet and reduce the heat to medium.
- Allow the chicken mixture to cook, covered, until the chicken pieces reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees F, about 15-20 minutes.
- Remove the lid from the skillet and increase the heat to medium-high.
- Add the sherry to the chicken mixture and cook, undisturbed, until the alcohol is cooked off, about 3 minutes.
- Stir the chicken mixture.
- Continue cooking the chicken mixture, uncovered and while stirring occasionally, until the sherry has completely evaporated, about 10 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken mixture from the heat.
- Serve garnished with the fresh parsley.
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