Puerto Rican Chicken in Almond Sauce

I had been planning to make this one for awhile, in large part to honor the people and culture of Puerto Rico.  Tonight it finally got done, and it was absolutely delicious!  This one comes from Latin American Cooking Across the U.S.A. by Himilce Moves and Rosemary Silva.

1 medium yellow onion, minced
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
3 1/2 T olive oil
1/2 cup blanched almonds, pulverized in a food processor
All purpose flour
Freshly ground pepper
1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
3 Roma tomatoes, chopped
1 cinnamon stick
6 whole cloves
Salt to taste
2 eggs
Juice of one lime

Saute the onions and garlic in 1 1/2 T olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat until limp, about 6 minutes.  Put aside.

Mix together the flour and pepper in a shallow bowl or a large zip lock bag.  Rinse the chicken pieces and dredge them in the flour mixture.  Starting with the drumsticks and thighs, saute the chicken the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil, about 6 minutes a side.

Stir in the onion and garlic mixture, the almonds, tomatoes, cinnamon stick and cloves along with some water if necessary.  Lower the heat and simmer over low heat until the chicken is cooked through, about 35 minutes.  Remove the chicken from the skillet and keep warm in a low oven.

Skim the fat off the sauce and bring to a boil.  Reduce to about 1 1/2 cups.  Season with salt, and remove the whole spices.  In a small bowl, combine the eggs and lime juice, then add them to the sauce.  Return the chicken to the pan and serve with Arroz Amarillo and a steamed vegetable.  Garnish, if you like, with chopped parsley.


Rice recipe:  http://www.pbs.org/food/fresh-tastes/arroz-amarillo/