Greek Cinnamon Stewed Chicken Recipes

CHICKEN STEW WITH CINNAMON - CHICKEN KAPAMA

Steps:

• Clean the chicken pieces , remove excess fat and pat dry with paper towels.
• Heat olive oil and butter in a large dutch oven .
• Add chicken pieces to the pot and brown (skin side down) over medium-high heat until nicely browned. You may need to do this in two batches depending on the size of your pot.
• Remove chicken from the pot and transfer to a platter. I prefer to remove and discard the skin from the chicken pieces.
• Using a large spoon, remove all but two tablespoons of the fat and oil.
• Add onions to the pot and saute until tender.
• Add garlic and sauté until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes.
• Add wine, tomato paste, crushed tomatoes, brandy, honey, cinnamon stick, cloves, bay leaves, salt, and pepper. Allow sauce to come to a boil and then lower heat to a low simmer.
• Return chicken to the pot (with juices) and simmer uncovered for 10 minutes.
• Cover and simmer for approximately 1 hour.
• If the sauce appears to be too thin, you can simmer uncovered in the last 10 minutes of cooking to reduce it a bit. Stir occasionally to circulate the ingredients. Serve over cooked pasta or orzo and sprinkle with grated cheese.

STEWED CHICKEN: KOTA KOKINISTI

Steps:

• Heat oil in a large skillet on high heat. Sprinkle chicken with cinnamon, salt, and pepper, brown on all sides, and set aside.
• Turn the heat to medium-high, add the onions and minced garlic, and cook for 3 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the wine to remove the particles from the bottom of pan and reduce until almost dry. Add water, tomato paste, and whole garlic cloves. Add chicken, cover, and simmer for 1 hour or until chicken is cooked through. Add water as needed.
• Served best over rice or orzo. Top with mizithra.

KOTA KOKKINISTI (GREEK CINNAMON CHICKEN)

Steps:

• Rinse and pat dry your chicken thighs with paper towels. Season your flour with some salt to taste. Place the chicken in a bowl and sprinkle with the seasoned flour and toss to coat the pieces.
• Heat a large pot and once hot, sear your chicken for 1-2 minutes per side. Do not touch them or try to move the pieces until ready to flip over or else they will stick and tear. You'll know they're ready to flip when they are easily movable.
• Once chicken is browned on both sides, add the wine to the pan to deglaze with a spoon or spatula - get all the brown bits off the bottom of the pan- that's the flavor.
• Next, add the olive oil and onion and gently toss around for two minutes.
• Stir in the tomatoes, paste, cinnamon, all spice, cloves, salt and pepper to taste, sugar and warm water. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Uncover and continue to cook for another 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. Taste the sauce and adjust salt according to your palate.

GREEK CINNAMON STEWED CHICKEN

Steps:

• Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. A wet chicken will cause the oil to splatter while the chicken is sautéing. Mix the salt, pepper and cinnamon in a small bowl. Rub the chicken pieces on all sides with the seasoning.
• Heat the olive oil in a large deep skillet over high heat. A 12-inch skillet with sides about 2 1/2 to 3 inches high will allow you to brown all the chicken at once. If you don’t have a skillet large enough, brown the chicken in two batches. What’s important is that the chicken isn’t overcrowded, which would cause the pieces to steam rather than brown,
• Put the chicken in the pan, skin side down. Brown for about 4 to 5 minutes on each side. Turn the pieces using tongs, as they have a tendency to stick to the pan. Remove the chicken to a platter.
• Lower the heat to medium high and add the onions and minced garlic to the drippings in the pan. Cook for about 3 minutes, stirring constantly, until the onions have softened and are a light golden brown. Add the wine, and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon to deglaze the pan, loosening any particles stuck on the bottom.
• When the wine has evaporated, add the water, chicken broth and tomato paste. Stir to dissolve the tomato paste. Return the chicken to the pan and add the oregano. The liquid should come about halfway up the chicken pieces.
• Cover the pan and simmer over low heat for about 1 hour or until the chicken is tender and completely cooked. If the sauce becomes too thick, it can be thinned with a little more water. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
• Serve the chicken over cooked orzo. Top with the red sauce and sprinkle with the cheese. Garnish with fresh parsley leaves.

CINNAMON STEWED CHICKEN (CAT CORA)

Steps:

• Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Mix cinnamon, salt and pepper in a small bowl, then rub all over the chicken pieces.
• Using a deep, 12" wide skillet, heat the oil until it shimmers (if you have a smaller pan, make 2 batches, using half the oil for each). Add the chicken pieces, being careful not to overcrowd, and cook until very brown, 4-5 min per side.
• Mince 3 cloves of garlic. Reduce heat to medium-high and add minced garlic and onions. Saute until onions soften and begin to brown, about 5 minute Deglaze with 1/2 c water or broth, using a wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan.
• When the deglazing liquid has evaporated to nearly dry, add the remaining 1 1/2 c water or stock, the tomato paste, the Italian seasoning and the remaining 2 cloves of garlic, minced.
• Return the chicken to the pan, nestling it down in the sauce. If the sauce does not come 3/4 of the way up the side of the chicken pieces, add more water or broth. Cover and simmer over medium-high heat until tender, about 30-40 minutes. Season the sauce with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Serve with cooked orzo or rice.