Introduction to Cooking with Cava Chicken Recipe
Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain. You can use it to make delicious and unique chicken dishes. Cooking with cava uses the complex flavors within the bubbly. It includes floral, fruity, yeasty, and even nutty notes. The sparkling wine infuses the chicken with these tastes and also tenderizes it.
As cava grew in popularity globally, the cooking method expanded as well. Now it’s common to find cava chicken recipes in various cuisines. The sparkling wine adds a sophisticated flavor profile to an otherwise simple dish.
Benefits of Cooking with Cava
Cooking with kava brings a unique dimension to the flavor of chicken. Acidic, mineral wine, chicken is very tasty and great to eat together.
Cava adds an extra dimension of flavor and texture to a simple chicken dish. Bubbles tenderize and acidity brightens the chicken. The result is downright succulent and craveable. Cooking with Cava brings out the best in chicken.
Choosing the Right Cava
.When cooking with Cava, it’s important to choose the right variety to complement the dish. Here are some tips on selecting a Cava that will work well:
Recommended Brands
Freixenet Cava Carta Nevada is an affordable brut Cava. It has crisp acidity and citrus notes. They pair nicely with chicken.
– Segura Viudas Reserva Heredad Cava – A nicely balanced dry Cava with a medium body and hints of apple and lemon. It brings out the flavors of the sauce.
– Raventós I Blanc de Blancs – This is a premium brut Cava made in the traditional Champagne method. It has a delicate profile with minerality that won’t overwhelm the chicken.
Their aged reserve Cavas have made Juve & Camps Cava well-known. This producer makes bottles with nice complexity, biscuit flavors, and crisp acidity
Characteristics to Look For
Opt for a dry, brut Cava rather than something sweeter like a demi-sec. The crisp acidity of brut Cava will cut through the richness of the sauce. It will let the chicken shine.
Avoid cheap Cavas that taste yeasty or have aggressive bubbles. Look for a refined mouthfeel with smaller, gentle bubbles.
Medium-bodied Cavas work best as fuller-bodied options can overpower the dish.
The Cava has a citrus, green apple, or mineral notes. These will add nice complementary flavors.
A Cava aged 15 months or longer will provide more complexity. It will still let the chicken take center stage.
Ingredients
For the cava chicken, you’ll need:
Boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thighs, or a mix. Chicken breast tends to be leaner. Chicken thighs have more fat and flavor. Choose what works best for your preferences and diet.
– A good quality Cava wine – Cava is a sparkling wine from Spain and provides a light, bubbly flavor. Choose a mid-range Cava rather than a cheap one. Freixenet and Codorníu are good, reliable brands.
– Fresh herbs like thyme, rosemary, oregano, etc to season the chicken. Chopped parsley or chives work well too.
– Garlic, shallots, lemon – these help boost flavor. Mince the garlic and shallots. Zest and juice the lemon.
– Olive oil, butter, or a mix to sear the chicken and make the pan sauce.
– Salt, pepper, smoked paprika, chili powder, etc to add seasoning. Go easy on salty ingredients like soy sauce.
– Chicken or vegetable stock to deglaze the pan and simmer the chicken.
– Optional extras like olives, sun-dried tomatoes, mushrooms, etc add more complexity.
The ingredients are simple but excellent quality to let the sparkling Cava shine. Adjust herbs and spices to your taste preferences.
Prep the Chicken
Preparing the chicken is an important first step for this dish. You’ll want to start by pounding the chicken breasts to an even thickness of around 1/2 inch. This helps the chicken cook.
Use a meat mallet or rolling pin to pound the chicken. Place the breasts between two sheets of plastic wrap or parchment paper. This prevents sticking while pounding. Pound from the center outward.
You may also use any other desired seasonings such as Italian seasoning, garlic powder, paprika, or cayenne pepper. seasoning during the preparation stage will help the flavors permeate the meat.
pounding and seasoning the chicken will lead to tender, flavorful results. Later on, simmer it in cava wine. Even thickness and proper seasoning at this stage sets the dish up for success.
Sear the Chicken
In a large skillet or pan, heat 2 tbsp olive oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot and shimmering, add the chicken pieces skin-side down. Let them sear untouched for 4-5 minutes until browned. Using tongs, flip each piece and brown the other side for another 4 minutes. You want nice caramelization on the skin to build flavor. Don’t worry if the chicken isn’t cooked through yet, as it will finish cooking later. The browning gives you that delicious, crispy skin.
Simmer in Cava
Add the cava and fresh herbs to the pan used for searing the chicken. Bring the liquid up to a gentle simmer.
Nestle the seared chicken pieces back into the pan. Ensure that you submerge them in the cava mixture. Cover with a lid. Allow the chicken to braise for 15-20 minutes until completely cooked through. The meat should be very tender and reach an internal temperature of 165°F.
Baste the chicken with the cava braising liquid a few times during cooking. This will keep the meat juicy and infuse it with more flavor.
Make Pan Sauce
After removing the chicken from the pan, place the pan over medium heat. Add 1/4 cup chicken broth or water to the pan, scraping the browned bits from the bottom. Bring the liquid to a boil and cook for 2-3 minutes until reduced by half.
Reduce the heat to low and whisk in 2 tablespoons of butter. Whisk until you have incorporated the butter. The sauce should be smooth and silky. You can season with salt and pepper to taste. The starch from the chicken will help thicken the sauce.
The reduced braising liquid becomes an easy, flavorful pan sauce. Add a couple of extra ingredients. The browned bits left in the pan provide extra flavor. The butter enriches the sauce and gives it a nice glossy texture. This simple sauce captures all the delicious flavors. We braised the chicken in cava.
Serve
Serve this cava chicken on its own and enhance it with a few simple additions to make it even more delicious.
– Garnish with fresh herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary, or tarragon to add extra flavor. The freshness of the herbs complements the richness of the sauce. Chop the herbs and sprinkle them over the plated chicken right before serving.
Pair it with complementary side dishes. Options include sauteed vegetables, roasted potatoes, or a fresh salad. The vinegar in the cava sauce makes it an excellent match for vegetable sides. Roasted potatoes soak up the delicious sauce. The simple green salad has a vinaigrette dressing. This balances out the heartiness of the chicken.
– Consider serving the chicken with crusty bread. The bread soaks up the flavorful sauce for a satisfying bite. You can tear off pieces of baguette, slices of ciabatta, or rolls to dip into the sauce.
– Rice or pasta make excellent bases for serving the cava chicken. The sauce drizzled over rice or twirled with pasta is magnificent. Opt for rice varieties like jasmine or basmati. Pasta choices like penne, fettuccine, or linguine stand up well to the bold sauce.
– For special occasions, serve the chicken over risotto for an elegant presentation. The creaminess of the risotto melds with the cava sauce. Parmesan risotto is especially tasty with this chicken.
This versatile cava chicken pairs well with many sides and you can dress it up or keep it simple. Fresh herbs, crusty bread, rice, pasta, or risotto are all great options. The possibilities are endless for complementing this flavorful meal.
Variations
This cava chicken recipe can suit different tastes and dietary needs.
Other Proteins
While chicken works, you could substitute it in other proteins. A few delicious options include:
– Pork chops or pork tenderloin
– Shrimp or scallops
– Firm white fish like cod, halibut, or mahi mahi
– Tofu or seitan (for vegetarian/vegan diets)
Sear and simmer the alternate proteins in the same way as the chicken thighs. This infuses them with bright cava flavor. Adjust cooking times as needed based on the size and density of the protein.
Vegetable Additions
Adding vegetables is an easy way to turn this into a one-pot meal. Try stirring any of the following into the sauce near the end of cooking:
– Mushrooms
– Zucchini
– Squash
– Bell peppers
– Green beans
– Carrots
– Broccoli florets
The cava sauce complements and enhances the flavor of any vegetable you choose. For heartier additions like potatoes or cauliflower, you may want to sear or roast them first. Then, add them to the sauce.
Get creative with produce that matches your tastes – the possibilities are endless! Vegetables soak up the complex flavors of the cava sauce.
