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Pollo Con Ajoy y Limon and Spanish Hard Ciders #WorldWineTravel

The #WorldWineTravel wine bloggers are exploring hard ciders, or Sidra, which originated from the Asturias region of Spain.  Our host, Camilla from Camilla's Culinary Adventures, shares information with us about sidras.  I will compare two Spanish sidras that Cam was able to secure for us for this event. 






Cam tells us that sidra is a tart, earthy and dry drink. The Asturias region is mountainous with unique soils and substrates.  There are more than 200 hundred varieties of apples grown there but only about two dozen are used for sidras.  While we were in Spain we saw Sidra Bars, but didn't try any.

Here are my other #WorldWineTravel posts this year on Spanish wines!


Disclaimer:  Samples were sent to use from Winesellers, Ltd.  All opinions about these ciders are my own and not influenced by the gift.  






Bottles came from Mayador (Sidra Asturiana,) Dunkerton's Organic Cider, and Cidrerie Daufresne. These are from Spain, the United Kingdom and France.

Three green bottles of cider


Sidra Asturiana


The first of the two Sidra Asturianas was not our favorite. The funk was strong with that one.  What I truly love is all the tradition and drama around the sidra.  First Tastings, or espichas, is a tradition where friends and family gather to taste the sidra while it is still fermenting in the barrel. Traditionally ham, sausage, bread, and cabrales cheese are served while everyone gets a taste from the barrel. The cider is sold in sidrerias where the bartender serves the cider by holding a large glass in one hand and a bottle of cider in the other. He raises the bottle above his head and lets the cider fall into the glass, which produces a foam from the carbonation. This gets the best flavor from the sidra. Only about an inch or two is poured into the glass. Drink immediately!  While I didn't pour with the drama of a bartender, I did pour only a couple of inches in each glass.



A tall stream of cider being poured into a glass.



Dunkerton's Organic Cider


This is considered a medium sweet cider, which typically wouldn't appeal to my family, but they liked the lighter bubble and the more apple taste. My husband said he'd order this with a Ploughman's lunch, and I have to agree.  The aftertaste is light and dry and pleasant.  Even though it is considered medium sweet, it wasn't so sweet to me. 




Cidrerie Daufresne


The apples for this cider are grown on the estate, in France, with a few coming from other local areas.  It has a beautiful amber coloring along with fine bubbles. The apple sweetness shines through but it is drier than most ciders.  You know that bitterness that usually accompanies a cider?  Not distinguishable. This is a very light cider.  My husband described it as an apple with a bit of cheddar cheese on it.

The Food Pairing

Since we mostly talk about Spain in this group, we will talk about how the Pollo Con Ajoy y Limon (Chicken with Garlic and Lemon) paired with the Spanish sidras.  






Learn more about each of these ciders by checking out their social media accounts below.

See the other #WorldWineTravel bloggers and their posts on ciders:

Pollo Con Ajoy y Limon (Chicken with Garlic and Lemon)
Yield
8
Author
Terri Steffes
Prep time
15 Min
Cook time
45 Min
Total time
1 Hour

Pollo Con Ajoy y Limon (Chicken with Garlic and Lemon)

This is a pretty easy recipe featuring Mediterranean ingredients.

Ingredients

  • 10 large garlic cloves, peeled
  • 24 oz chicken stock
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • a 4 pound chicken
  • 1 whole lemon
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 8 ounces white wine or hard cider
  • parsley for garnish

Instructions

  1. Heat oven to 375.
  2. Pour stock into a pot and add garlic. Cover and simmer on low for about 20 minutes.
  3. Peel the lemon and then cut into thin slices.  Set aside
  4. Pour olive oil into a large frying pan and heat on medium.  Spatchcock a chicken, then brown the chicken on both sides.  Remove and place on an ovenproof pot. Set aside.
  5. Reduce to low, add the flour and cook while stirring.  Add the wine (cider) and continue to stir, scraping bits off the bottom of the pan.  Add the broth as the sauce thickens.  Taste, add salt and pepper as needed.
  6. Pour the thickened sauce over the chicken in the pan.  Sprinkle the cooked garlic over the pan and arrange the lemon slices.  Bake for 45 minutes.  Remove and garnish with parsley. 

Nutrition Facts

Calories

655.89

Fat (grams)

37.54

Sat. Fat (grams)

9.53

Carbs (grams)

10.42

Fiber (grams)

0.44

Net carbs

9.98

Sugar (grams)

4.64

Protein (grams)

57.20

Sodium (milligrams)

294.26

Cholesterol (grams)

215.89
Did you make this recipe?
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6 Comments
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  1. A Day in the Life on the Farm9:43 AM

    Your chicken sounds lovely. I haven't tried the bottle from France yet but I did prefer the Dunkerton's to the Mayador.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lynn11:16 AM

    That chicken dish looks delish! Which cider did you prefer with it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Terri Steffes4:01 PM

      We liked the Spanish sidra the best. The one in the tallest bottle. I didn't think to check what the differences were!

      Delete
  3. Camilla M. Mann11:40 AM

    Thanks for joining the cider party this month, Terri! As always, I wish you lived closer so I could crash your dining room table.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Crushed Grape Chronicles12:16 PM

    This was such a fascinating dive into Ciders! After hearing your description of the Dunkerton's and the Daufresne, I'm looking forward to opening those!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Martin D11:27 PM

    You dish looks awesome Terri!l It was fun for me to explore hard ciders. How about you?

    ReplyDelete

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