Sauteed Chicken and Chorizo

If you are going to steal, steal from the best. I first heard about soft Mexican Chorizo being used as a marinade from pop-up chef Ludo Lefebvre at LudoBites 6.0. I have not had the pleasure to reserve a seat to try out his unique flavors (LudoBites usually books-up in minutes for the short month, or two, long run.) But, I do like to read all about his clever and tasty sounding dishes - you can click here to see what I am talking about.

 One entree that did catch my attention is his Chorizo Half Chicken. What a cool idea: just marinate chicken in creamy, spicy Mexican Chorizo. He cooks the dish sous-vide. Which means sealing the chicken and chorizo in a plastic bag and slow cooking it for hours. If you want to give sous-vide a try, our local newspaper, The Los Angeles Times, shows you how to do it simply at home -- click here for a video and print instructions. Since I've never eaten at a LudoBites, this recipe is delectable guesswork.

This French Top Chef contender is a fan of incorporating local California flavors into his European cooking repertoire. And when he does a pop-up restaurant in L.A., that means using California farmers market produce, and Mexican ingredients, too.

Chicken is the cheapest protein and I get it at my local Latin market for way below 99 cents per pound -- actually, 59 cents per pound for a 10 pound bag! The bag holds leg quarters, but I'm fine with that. I've also bought bone-in white meat breast for 99 cents per pound, on sale at regular grocery stores. White meat is easy to overcook and dry out, so I prefer the cheaper cuts.

Mexican Chorizo is made with Pork, Beef, and recently, Soy. I used a Beef Chorizo for this recipe. Last week I reviewed a vegetarian Soy Chorizo and gave it a top score of 9 -- I'm sure it would work as well. Mexican Chorizo is like a paste, so you just heat it up and smear it on. Then all you do is cover the pan and cook until done -- it couldn't be simpler. The end result is spicy and mucho delicioso.

 I am a fan of  Mexican Chorizo, and have used it in several recipes (click on name for recipe link): Chorizo and Eggs, Mexi-Turkey Burger, Stuffed Bell Peppers, and now, Sauteed Chicken and Chorizo.

Ingredients (1 serving)

• 2 chicken pieces - I used a thigh and leg.
• 2 tablespoons of Mexican Chorizo. Don't use hard Spanish Chorizo for this recipe.
• Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Mexican Chorizo is soft like pate, and stored in a plastic casing. I use one heaping tablespoon per chicken piece. While a saute pan is coming up to low/medium heat, put chorizo in a bowl and microwave for about 10-15 seconds -- until chorizo is soft and oil is starting to separate.

If you are using leg quarters, you can separate the leg from thigh -- I've also made the dish with whole leg quarters. Coat chicken with lightly heated chorizo, on all sides. If you do not have a micowave, just add chorizo to saute pan and heat until it's soft (then add chicken and coat both sides.)

Add chorizo coated chicken to saute pan. Cover pan and reduce heat to low/medium. You want to slowly cook chicken covered, for about 10 - 15 minutes, each side. Done when chicken juices run clear -- just slice into it to make sure there is no red or pink color at the bone.

Chorizo will turn dark brown and be clumpy like brown sugar, when done. Plate chicken and scoop on crumbly cooked chorizo. An excellent accompaniment is my Mexican Rice and Charro Beans recipes (click on names.)