Recipe: Jalapeño Chicken

One day a few weeks ago, Idalia, the director of the school in San Nicolas, came over with her daughter to teach us how to make a standard Nicaraguan dish: jalapeno chicken. 

It being a food-oriented time of year, we want to share this recipe with you. For those of you who are in a cold climate, this dish will warm you quite well. 

For the chicken:

3 lbs chicken, cut into filets

1 clove of garlic, smashed and diced finely

1 lime, juiced

2 small green peppers, diced finely

1 small onion, diced finely

½ teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

Juice the lime and combine it with the chicken and diced garlic. Let sit for a minute and then drain the additional liquid. Dice the peppers and onion finely and combine the rest of the ingredients with the chicken. Cook the filet and vegetables, discarding the liquid, in a pan with butter until it is browned and crisp. You can also cook it over a grill if you prefer, Arrr Arrr Arrr.

For the sauce:

2 julienne-cut onions

1 or 2 julienne-cut jalapeno peppers (the more the merrier)

2 cups water

2 tablespoons corn starch

½ cup milk

½ cup sour cream

salt

Cut up the onions and peppers and saute them in oil. When they are cooked, add the water and cook until the water is hot. In the mean time, mix together separately the corn starch, milk, and sour cream. After the water is hot, add the corn starch mixture to the onion and peppers. Cook until the sauce thickens and add salt for taste. You may think, “that is a lot of jalapenos,” but the milk and cream will cut the spiciness - don't worry.

Mix together the chicken and sauce or serve them separately. Eat this dish over rice, with the side of beans that is essential to every Nicaraguan meal.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from San Nicolas, Nicaragua (Santa's vacation location)!