Portuguese Chinese Chicken with Rice was served by a beautiful South African woman in the middle of the Caribbean Sea to a bunch of Americans…it is really an amazing world.
I first tasted this meal 15 years ago while on a sailboat located in the Caribbean. The chef was amazing and was a delight to us at every meal, but this was so memorable, that here I am trying to recreate the dish so many years later. Isn’t it amazing that your brain can recall an insignificant meal for many years? Maybe I’m just having an unnatural obsession with food. Oh dear. Do you remember food items you ate a while ago or do you think it’s only me?
This is the appeal of going on a vacation. Our daily routine kind of blends in with the rest of our lives, and days rarely seem to stand out as in any way. Vacations are a different story. We get away from our world for a few seconds and enter a different society, a different language and people, as well as new cuisines.
For a couple of days we are able to see a glimpse of another person’s “normal.” That man making steamy corn tortillas at the street and the nose-ringed teenage girl who shines shoes for passers-by or the group of three who play Vivaldi at the Town Square, which is surrounded by birds, and the lady who cooks Portuguese Chicken and Rice in the little sailboat kitchen…these are their lives, every day every week, however, to us who travel far to be there the events become part of the exotic, enthralling holiday memory that can be remembered later on as we travel by buses to get there, clean laundry, or run carpools.
I’ve not visited Portugal. It’s on my wish list. However, I’ve had the pleasure of tasting Portugal at a minimum in my thoughts. It’s a mixture of chicken, roasted peppers, mushrooms, and olives that are green. The funny thing is that when I take a bite of Portugal I am reminded of the Caribbean.
Portuguese Chicken and Rice
Ten mins
Cook Time 20 minutes
All Time: 30 mins
Instructions
- The olive oil is heated in a large skillet. Chop onions and sauté for for about 5 minutes.
- Cut mushrooms into pieces and add them to the pot together with garlic cloves minced.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then add them to the pan. The chicken is cooked on all sides.
- Add thyme, white wine and thyme. Then cook on medium heat for 5 minutes, turning it over until the wine is reduced to half.
- Add the tomatoes, peppers along with chicken broth. Cook until sauce is reduced and thickened.
- Slice olives into pieces and add them to the dish. Add lemon juice and sprinkle on top.
- Serve over rice.
Notes
You could substitute the thighs of a chicken for breasts. Set cook time like to. The thighs will take longer to cook. (Internal temperature of the breasts and both thighs must be around 165°).
We used Chardonnay. We also tried the recipe with cooking wine and it was quite different. It can be made using either one, however, with real white wine it provides a deep, rich and nutty taste that isn’t available with the cooking wines.
