This is what my Uncle Phillip called one of them “Frenchy-fied” dishes, Sauté Dauphinois. It’s nothing more or less than  Sautéed Chicken with Garlic. So, want to impress family and friends? Tell ’em to come over for Sauté Dauphinois.

What’s great about this recipe is that it contains a lot of garlic. In the Rivera Clan, we love garlic. Count Dracula has nothing over on us. Yet the garlic does not overwhelm the dish. It complements it in a delightful way.

Despite the highfalutin moniker, this is very simple dish to prepare. Season the chicken, brown in olive oil, add the garlic (unpeeled) and cook until chicken pieces are tender. When the chicken is served, the guests should  squeeze the garlic cloves (which become as soft as butter) out of the skins and onto their plates and eat the cloves along with the chicken. With some crusty bread and good wine, this meal is heavenly. In terms of wine, if you prefer a white, then Chenin Blanc or Chardonnay will do the trick. If you go for a red, then a Merlot, Pinot Noir or Beaujolais is a good combo. Hell, you can have this dish with beer, if you want. Go with whatever pleases the palette.

SAUTÉED CHICKEN WITH GARLIC
(Saute Dauphinois)

Ingredients:

1 chicken, 2½ to 3 pounds, cut into small serving pieces
Salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 tablespoons fresh chopped oregano leaves or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon dried chives
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
12 garlic cloves, unpeeled
¼ cup  chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:

  1. Season chicken pieces with salt, pepper, oregano and chives. Sprinkle with vinegar. Heat oil in a large pan or skillet and cook chicken over high heat for 5-6 minutes, turning pieces from time to time. Reduce heat to low, cover pan or skillet and let chicken cook for another 15 minutes.  Remove the lid occasionally to turn the pieces.
  2.  Add garlic cloves and cook for another 20 minutes or so or until chicken is tender. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve. If desired, you can transfer chicken to a warm platter and sprinkle with parsley. Either way is okay. It just depends on your proclivities. Some like it served from the pan or skillet. Others prefer the table platter for more formality.
    Yield: 4 servings .