Chicken for Almodovar

Ingredients

Rice:

• 3 cups chicken stock
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon saffron threads, 2 pinches
• 1 1 /2 cups white rice

Chicken:

• 3 tablespoons evoo, extra-virgin olive oil, 3 turns of the pan
• 6 medium pieces chicken breast, 6 ounces, each breast cut in half across the breast
• Salt and pepper
• 4 cloves garlic, cracked away from skin and crushed
• 1 medium onion, quartered, then thinly sliced
• 1 bay leaf, fresh or dried
• 2 jarred pimentos, drained, halved and sliced
• 1/4 cup, 2 handfuls, golden raisins
• 1 small tub, 1 cup, Spanish jumbo green pitted olives, coarsely chopped
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons butter, chopped into pieces
• 1/3 cup, a couple of handfuls, flat leaf parsley, chopped
• 1/2 cup sliced almonds, a few handfuls, toasted

Directions

In a medium sauce pan bring stock and butter to a boil. Add saffron and rice. Cover pot, reduce heat to low and simmer 18 to 20 minutes. Fluff with fork.

In a large skillet over medium high heat, brown chicken seasoned with salt and pepper in 2 tablespoons oil, 2 turns of the pan, about 2 - 3 minutes on each side. Remove chicken and add another tablespoon evoo, a turn of the pan. Add garlic and onions and sauté 2 minutes to begin to soften them. Stir in bay, pimento, olives, raisins. Add wine and cook 1 minute, picking up any pan drippings. Add stock and bring liquid up to a bubble. Whisk in butter until melted. Return chicken to the pan and reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 minutes.

Serve chicken over saffron rice and garnish with lots of chopped parsley and a generous topping of toasted almonds.