Roasted Chicken with Chestnut Sauce and Mencía Jus | Wine Enthusiast
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Roasted Chicken with Chestnut Sauce and Mencía Jus

Recipe courtesy chef Beatriz ­Sotelo, A Estación, Cambre

Named Spain’s chef of the year in 2008, Beatriz ­Sotelo puts her refined spin on Galicia’s traditionally rustic fare at A Estación in Cambre, which she runs with fellow chef Xoán Crujeiras. Thanks to the boldly flavored menu and a wine list featuring regional standouts, A Estación, housed in the converted canteen of an old railway station, has become a destination in its own right.

Tip: If you can’t get fresh chestnuts, the precooked, bagged variety works just as well.

Ingredients

4 chicken legs
Kosher salt, to taste
2 medium yellow onions, quartered
2 green peppers, coarsely sliced
4 cloves garlic
1 bay leaf
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 ounces peeled and roasted chestnuts
2 tablespoons brown sugar
¼ cup fresh-squeezed orange juice
½ cup whole milk
½ cup Mencía wine (or other dry red wine, like Cabernet Franc)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

Directions

Lightly dust chicken with kosher salt. Refrigerate for 45 minutes. Rinse and dry.

Preheat oven to 400˚F. Place chicken in roasting pan with onions, peppers, garlic and bay leaf. Toss with olive oil and roast until chicken reaches 170˚F, about 45 minutes.

While chicken roasts, combine chestnuts, brown sugar, orange juice and milk in a small pot. Bring to a gentle boil and simmer for 10 minutes. (The juice will curdle milk, but will not affect outcome.) Let cool slightly. Purée in blender until smooth. Reserve.

Remove vegetables and chicken from pan. Cover and rest 10 minutes. Deglaze pan with Mencía and a drizzle of olive oil. Remove from heat. Add butter, adjusting salt if necessary.Drizzle wine sauce over chicken. Serve chicken and vegetables with chestnut cream on side. (Optional garnish: drizzle of chive-infused olive oil.) Serves 4.

Pair It

“With its appealing minerality, Dominio do Bibei’s Lalama from Ribeira Sacra makes a great pairing for this earthy dish,” says Sotelo. The wine is predominantly Mencía (90%) rounded out by Brancellao, Mouratón, Sousón and Garnacha. “With its black cherry and raspberry notes, this ruby gem also matches the richness of the chestnut-cream sauce.”