Chicken Skewers with Espagnole Sauce
- Level: Easy
- Yield: 6 servings
- Total: 1 hr 25 min
- Prep: 15 min
- Cook: 1 hr 10 min
Ingredients
For the espagnole sauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 scallions, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped celery
1 tablespoon chopped carrot
1 small clove garlic, crushed
1 tablespoon dry red wine
2 cups rich brown beef, veal or chicken stock, hot
1 tablespoon toasted instant flour (recommended: Wondra)
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon tomato paste
A sachet d'epices containing: 1 sprig parsley, 1 sprig thyme, 1 bay leaf, 1 black peppercorn
For the chicken skewers:
1 liter vegetable or canola oil (if deep-frying)
2 teaspoons chili powder
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
2/3 cup all-purpose flour (if deep-frying)
6 boneless chicken breasts, cut into chunks
Directions
- Special equipment: bamboo skewers
- For the sauce:
- Heat oil in a heavy-bottomed saucepan, and saute scallions, celery, carrot, and garlic over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until the vegetables have caramelized lightly. Add the red wine and beef stock and bring to a simmer.
- In a stainless steel mixing bowl, whisk together the toasted flour and butter, add the tomato paste, then gradually ladle in the hot stock, whisking as you go to make a smooth sauce. Add the sachet d'epices of parsley, thyme, bay leaf, and peppercorn, reduce heat to low, and simmer for about 50 minutes. Skim any impurities off the surface.
- Heat oil to 350 degrees F in a deep-fryer.
- Mix the chili powder, salt and garlic powder in a shallow bowl and stir in flour. Skewer chunks of chicken using bamboo skewers which have been pre-soaked in water, and dip chicken into warm water, then coat with seasoned flour. Fry until cooked through (about 6 minutes) and serve with Espagnole sauce. (Alternatively, these can be grilled by eliminating the flour and dipping the moistened skewered chicken into the mixed seasonings, then grilling until cooked through.)