Sunday, May 25, 2008
Food, Recipes

A Taste of Spain—Chicken saffron at Ibiza

Make this delicious dish tonight

    Throughout my life, I’ve always had a passion for flavorful ethnic food. My newest restaurant venture, Ibiza, features one of my favorite dishes, chicken saffron. The dish contains the bold taste of three chicken breasts marinated in saffron then topped with a delectable port berry sauce made with fresh fruit.
Ibiza, named for one of the Mediterranean’s most beautiful tourist destinations, brings the wealth of Spanish culture to Atlanta. My mother, a native of Sevilla, Spain, quickly taught me the importance of our culture at a young age. From then on, I have used my admiration for Mediterranean cuisine and passion for food to create dishes that remain true to my heritage.

    At Ibiza, we want our guests to feel as if they are right in the mist of Spain. The eclectic décor and ravishing Spanish aromas encompass the atmosphere at our restaurant. We serve a variety of Spanish inspired dishes, both traditional and newly created. The vibrant menu ranges from such items as seafood paella to tortilla espagnola. Each of our dishes is made with a passion by both my husband and I to create an inspiring, memorable experience for our guests. SP
Rita Benjelloun is executive chef and owner of Ibiza. 2285 Peachtree Road. 404-352-3081. www.ibizarestaurantlounge.com.

CHICKEN SAFFRON WITH GINGER AND PORT BERRY SAUCE

Serves 4–6 people

INGREDIENTS

Marinade

• 3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
• 1 tablespoon of olive oil
• 1 pinch of saffron
• 2 tablespoons warm water
• 3 stems of chopped parsley
• 8 thinly sliced and peeled ginger
• ¼ teaspoon of fresh orange zest
• 3 stems of chopped tarragon
• ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
• Fresh ground white pepper
• 1 tablespoon of honey (set to the side for cooking)

Refrigerate the marinating chicken for at least 1 hour before cooking.

Port berry sauce

• 1/2 cup of sweet port wine
• 1 whole cinnamon stick
• ¼ teaspoon of lemon zest
• ¼ teaspoon of orange zest
• Juice of ½ orange
• 8 slices of fresh ginger
• Pinch of ground nutmeg
• 1 cup of granulated sugar
• 1/3 cup of each of the following berries:
• Fresh strawberry halves
• Fresh red raspberries
• Fresh black raspberries
• Fresh blueberries
• Fresh cranberries

INSTRUCTIONS

Preparing the marinade
In a small cup, place saffron into the 2 tablespoons of warm water. In a bowl, combine all ingredients. Pour over chicken and marinate for as long as you wish, depending on how strong you would like the flavors to be.

Preparing the sauce
In small pot on pre-heat wine, cinnamon stick, lemon zest, orange zest orange juice, sliced ginger, nutmeg and sugar. When ingredients start to boil, reduce heat and cook for another 15 minutes. Next, pour in berries and cook over low flame for an additional 15 minutes.

Preparing the chicken
In a sauté pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. When hot, add the marinated chicken breasts, and cook well on both sides. Once done, add honey and turn off heat. Optional: Add slices of roasted almonds or roasted walnuts.