Pollo de Rey

By el chino latino cocina on November 16, 2013 • ( 6 Comments )

This recipe has become “comfort food” for us. It started out as a special occasion dish, but because it is so easy to make and so delicious, we eat this anytime. Especially when red peppers are in season.

The roasted red peppers are what makes this dish work. The sauce that covers the chicken looks, smells and tastes amazing. Make sure to save any sauce that is left over. It is great over eggs or even as a dipping sauce. You can use roasted red peppers in a jar, but it is worth the effort to roast your own. Here is my post that shows you how I roast peppers.

Pollo de Rey is one of the 1,000 recipes in Marge Poore’s cookbook, 1,000 Mexican Recipes. I’ve made a few changes, but all the ingredients are the same.

Pollo de Rey (Chicken for a King)

2 large red bell peppers, roasted and peeled

2 – 4 skinless boneless chicken breast halves

Salt and black pepper

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 cup chicken broth

2 tablespoons Mexican brandy, or other brandy

1 tablespoon hot pepper sauce (I use Tapatio)

1/2 – 1 cup shredded Manchego or Swiss cheese

Preheat your broiler.

Place the red peppers under the broiler and turn the red peppers as they blacken until all sides are charred.

Take them out of the oven and place them in a plastic bag you can seal to trap the steam. You can also put them in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap.

Once they have cooled down, peel the peppers, remove the seeds and set aside.

Trim the chicken breasts of fat and place them individually between two sheets of plastic wrap.

Pound them with a meat mallet or a rolling pin to 1/4 – 1/2 inch thickness (I like mine thicker).

Season with salt and pepper.

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a large nonstick skillet and cook the chicken breasts until they are lightly browned on both sides.

They don’t need to cook all the way through because they will finish cooking in the oven. Place in a baking dish. Reserve the skillet for the sauce.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Place the red peppers in a blender along with the broth, cream, brandy and hot pepper sauce. Blend until smooth. Heat the reserved tablespoon of olive oil in the skillet and add the red pepper sauce.

Bring the sauce to a boil and then lower the heat to a simmer. Cook until the sauce starts to thicken (about 3 minutes).

Pour the sauce over the chicken breasts and top each breast with shredded cheese. Place in the oven and bake until the cheese has melted and the sauce begins to bubble (about 10 minutes).