This recipe for Chicken with Capers and Almonds is built on layers of flavor from many different elements. Your first bite tells you that this is a soft chicken recipe. As the pieces of chicken are simmering, they absorb the sweetness of carrots and orange juice along with the tang of wine and vinegar. Then, you take a bite and there’s something different you don’t expect. Something bursts in your mouth. It’s a caper! The almonds don’t add the taste of nuts as much as they add body and richness to the sauce.
Whether you’re a dark meat or white meat eater, I promise you will enjoy digging into this Chicken with Capers and Almonds. It’s comfort food enough for family and fancy enough for a party! Make sure to serve it with rice or couscous to soak up the gravy. Add a green vegetable for nutrition and color!
For another chicken recipe made on top of the stove, try my Cranberry Chicken.
Prep time: 30 minutes
Hint: Substitute ground nuts or gf flour if you want to make this gluten free. Substitute toasted sunflower see if anyone is allergic to nuts.
Chicken with Capers and Almonds
By Published: November 7, 2016
Yield:
- 8 Servings
Ingredients
- 2 small chickens cut in joints and skinned
- 1 cup flour
- 1 teaspoon Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- 1/2 cup Italian flat leaf parsley stems removed and chopped
- 1 large onion peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch dice
- 3 large organic carrots trimmed and peeled
- 2 large Celery Stalks washed, trimmed
- 8 large Garlic Cloves peeled and chopped
- 3/4 cup Vegetable Oil
- 1 1/2 cups dry red wine
- 3/4 cup Balsamic Vinegar
- 3/4 cup orange juice processed is fine
- 4 tablespoons Capers drained
- 1 cup sliced almonds (or toasted sunflower seeds) 1/2 cup will be cooked with chicken and 1/2 cup will be toasted for garnish
Equipment
- 2 large skillets one skillet with cover
- 1 large pan to hold chicken
- 1 long handled tongs
Directions
- Clean chicken pieces thoroughly. Discard any extraneous pieces of fat or bone. Pat dry.
- Mix flour and pepper together in a shallow bowl. Dredge each piece of chicken in flour and pepper and refrigerate while you are preparing vegetables.
- Pour 1/3 cup vegetable oil into skillet without a cover. Heat over medium flame. Add chopped onions, carrots, celery and garlic. Sauté vegetables until they begin to brown on the bottom of the pan. This could take about 10 -15 minutes depending on how hot your oil is. Add wine, vinegar, orange juice, capers and 1/2 cup of almonds to vegetables. Stir well and set aside.
- Remove chicken from fridge. Pour four tablespoons of vegetable oil into the skillet that has a cover. Heat the oil over medium flame. Place no more than four or five pieces of chicken in the skillet at once and brown on each side. Remove from skillet and set aside. Repeat process until all the chicken has been browned.
- Return all the chicken to the skillet. Spread sautéed vegetable mixture all over and around chicken. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer. Place cover on skillet and leave it somewhat askew. Simmer chicken over low heat for about 15 minutes. Remove cover and move the pieces around. Bring the top ones to the bottom and the bottom ones to the top. Return sauce to a simmer and replace cover. Simmer about 20 minutes longer.
- Arrange chicken attractively in a serving dish. Pour all the sauce over the chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley and toasted almonds. Serve hot or at room temperature.
