Port And Paprika Chicken Bites

Total Time: 30 mins Preparation Time: 10 mins Cook Time: 20 mins

Ingredients

• Servings: 4
• 2 garlic cloves
• 2 bay leaves
• 3 tablespoons port wine (ruby or tawny)
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tablespoon cider vinegar
• 2 teaspoons sweet paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon sea salt, plus more to taste
• 1 lb chicken thigh, boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size chunks (about 1-inch dice)
• 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup onion, finely diced

Recipe

• 1 1. grind the garlic and bay leaves together in the work bowl of a hand blender or mini chopper. (alternatively, chop the garlic by hand and finely crumble the bay leaves and combine.) add the port, 1 tablespoon of the olive oil, the vinegar, paprika, and salt and pulse until well combined.
• 2 2. pour the mixture over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 1 to 2 hours.
• 3 3. just before cooking, chop enough cilantro to make 1/2 cup. scatter the cilantro on a serving plate.
• 4 4. heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of olive oil on medium-high heat in a wok or large skillet. with a slotted spoon, scoop the chicken pieces out of the marinade and into the hot oil, arranging the chicken in a single layer and discarding the marinade. cook until browned on the bottom, 2 to 3 minutes, then stir-fry until cooked through, 2 to 3 minutes more. scoop the chicken out of the pan, leaving any excess oil behind, and place the chicken on the cilantro.
• 5 5. add the onion to the oil in the hot pan, return it to medium-high heat, and cook, stirring, until the onion is browned at the edges, about 2 minutes. scoop the onion out of the oil and strew it over the chicken.
• 6 6. serve the plate of chicken bites hot or at room temperature, sprinkled with a touch of salt and with cocktail picks or toothpicks for handling.