October 15: For Almodovar: Spicy Spanish Raisin and Olive Chicken, Ole!

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breast halves
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves, chopped
   Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 pound chorizo, finely chopped
1 small red onion, finely chopped
2 celery ribs, finely chopped
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon paprika
1/2 cup dry sherry
1 cup chicken stock or broth
1/2 cup golden raisins
3 tablespoons cold unsalted butter
1/4 cup large Spanish green olives with pimientos, drained and coarsely chopped
   Zest and juice of 1/2 lemon
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, finely chopped

Preheat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat with 2 tablespoons of the EVOO. Season the chicken liberally with half of the thyme and salt and pepper and add to the hot skillet. Cook the chicken for 5 to 6 minutes on each side until cooked through. Remove the chicken from the pan and cover with foil to keep warm.

Return the skillet to the burner over medium-high heat, add the remaining 1 tablespoon of EVOO, and add the chorizo, onions, celery, red pepper flakes, paprika, salt, and pepper. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, or until the celery and onions are tender. Add the sherry and cook until the pan is almost dry, 1 minute. Add the chicken stock, raisins, and remaining thyme and continue to cook for about 4 to 5 minutes, or until there is only about 1/4 cup of liquid left in the pan. Turn the heat off under the pan. Add the butter and whisk until it has completely melted, then add the olives, lemon zest and juice, and parsley and toss to combine.

Serve the chicken breasts, whole or sliced, with the raisin and olive sauce.

4 SERVINGS

I didn't make this meal this time around either. I figured I shouldn't be buying so many ingredients if I could go into labor any day now. We had a harvest party with our church, so that's pretty much where we were all day - so no time to cook anyway. I made this recipe before and marked it a keeper. RR says: "Pedro Almodovar is my favorite foreign film director - I have his whole library. My favorite film and the one I most relate to: Woman on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown." She doesn't say what to do with the lemon, so I just added it in there at the end.