Drunken Chicken

Name: Drunken Chicken (Pollo Borracho)
Yield: Serves 4 to 8
Cuisine: American
Ingredients: 1 large white onion, thickly sliced; ¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil; 1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground black pepper; ½ cup dry white wine, such as sauvignon blanc; 1 cup pimiento-stuffed green olives; 1 whole frying chicken (about 3½ pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces; 1 tablespoon dried Mexican oregano (see Note); 3 garlic cloves; 1 bay leaf; ½ cup tequila; 1 tablespoon salt

Pollo Borracho

Preparation info

Serves
4 to 8

Difficulty
Easy

Appears in

La Comida del Barrio

By Aarón Sánchez

Published 2003

About

My mom has a version of this on her menu at Zarela. The beauty of this dish is that you can throw everything in the pot and walk away. The result is deep flavor and a smell to die for. Tequila is acidic and tenderizes the meat, creating a moist chicken. It’s an easy preparation and the ingredients are very accessible.

Ingredients

1 whole frying chicken (about 3½ pounds), cut into 8 serving pieces
1 tablespoon

Method

Rinse the chicken pieces and pat them dry; season with the oregano, salt, and pepper.

Coat a large Dutch oven or ovenproof skillet with the oil and place over medium-high heat. When the oil just begins to smoke, add the chicken pieces, skin-side down; you may have to work in batches. Brown the chicken for 6 minutes on each side and then remove it to a platter.