Margarita's International Recipes

Jerez de la Frontera

Aneto en Salsa Castellana Stuffed Chicken Breasts in Castilian Sauce Anetos are the Jerezana version of chicken cordon bleu: chicken breasts stuffed with ham and cheese, breaded and deep fried, and then served with either an onion-based Castilian sauce or a Roquefort sauce. The dish is closely related to the San Jacobo, which is made with pork instead of chicken, and it seems to have its origin in a bar or another of Jerez de la Frontera in the 1980s. It quickly spread to other bars and was also adopted by home cooks. This particular recipe is from Paquita Ramos Márquez - her son now sells it in a ready-to-eat meals establishment he has in Jerez de la Frontera. I tried to be as true to the original recipe as possible and went to the trouble and expense of hunting down jamón serrano. I shouldn't have. The unique flavor of this ham just could not come through the thick chicken, cheese and onion sauce. Using a cheaper domestic prosciutto (or even regular ham or bacon) would work just as well. I had meant to make this dish with thinly cut chicken breasts fillets, but the supermarket sent me chicken breasts instead. I pounded them until they were thin, but there was still too much chicken to ham/cheese ratio. Making it with thinly cut chicken fillets would save a lot of work and be tastier. The sauce was easy to make and very good. I got an actual amontillado sherry for Jerez and I'm sure it made it particularly tasty, though I'm sure it'd be good with any sherry you can find. In Jerez' bars, this dish is usually served accompanied by french fries and I air fried some frozen ones, it was a good choice. All in all, we really enjoyed it. PRINT PDF Stuffed Chicken Breasts in Castilian Sauce Ingredients 4 halves boneless chicken breasts or 8 thinly cut chicken breast fillets 4-8 slices jamón serrano (Serrano ham) or prosciutto 4 thick slices Edam cheese 1/4 cup flour 1 large egg 2 tsp salt 1 cup plain breadcrumbs 1/2 cup olive oil 8 yellow onions, sliced 2 cups water 8 mushrooms, sliced salt & pepper to taste 2 cups amontillado sherry from Jerez oil for frying or sauteing Directions If using chicken halves, lay one of them on a working surface, cover with plastic film and pound until it doubles in size. Repeat with the other breasts. Place one or two slices of Serrano ham or prosciutto on the soft side of each breast half, or on one of the thin chicken filet. Place a slice of cheese on top of the ham. Fold the chicken onto the ham and cheese, if using a half breast, or place another chicken filet on top. Dust each stuffed chicken breast with the flour. In a deep plate, beat the egg with the salt. Place the breadcrumbs in another deep plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumbs and turn, making sure the whole surface is covered. Refrigerate while you prepare the sauce. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a saute pan or wide pot. Add the sliced onions and cook, stirring frequently, until they start to brown. Turn heat to low, add water, and cook until the onions are very soft. Add the mushrooms and salt and pepper and continue cooking for a few minutes. Add the sherry and cook until reduced by a third. Meanwhile, heat 1/2" of oil over high heat in a frying pan. Add the breaded chicken breasts and cook until golden on each side, adding more oil if necessary. Transfer to a paper towel and drain excess oil. Place the chicken breasts on the pot with the Castilian sauce and continue cooking, turning every so often, until the chicken is cooked through, about 15-30 minutes, depending on how thick your anetos are. Serve the chicken topped with the sauce. Adapted from Paquita Ramos Marquez' recipe at Cosas de Comé Jerezana Recipes | Marga's International Recipes | Marga's Best Recipes | Marga's Food Blog | E-mail