FoodPoint

5.05 Margarita Fajitas - Meat & Poultry - Low-Fuss

I'm not exactly sure how I came up with this dish, although I'm fairly certain that the name came first and everything just sort of fell into place around it. Either way, I make this a few times a year when I'm in the mood for something easy and tasty.

The "margarita" element refers to the cocktail and shouldn't be confused with the pizza (which is actually "margherita", anyway). Basically this dish has all the elements of a margarita carefully disguised with chicken, vegetables and spices.

Ingredients:
300g chicken breast fillet, sliced into strips
1 red onion, sliced
1 red capsicum, sliced
1 yellow capsicum, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tbsp ground coriander
1/2 tbsp ground  cumin seeds
30ml tequila
15ml triple sec
1/2 tsp caster sugar
Zest and juice of 1 lime
Olive oil
Salt

I guess you can use thigh fillet if you prefer, I just prefer breast (*wink*).

While I've specified a red and a yellow capsicum, this probably isn't necessary - I'm just channelling my inner Nigella again! Just use 2 of any combination of colours.

Okay, so the tequila, triple sec, sugar and lime (and to a degree, the salt) are the margarita elements. Basically, if you mix these elements together you'll end up with what is essentially the cocktail.

In relation to the olive oil, it doesn't need to be extra virgin. Just plain olive oil will do, or you can use a regular vegetable oil. You'll need approx. 1/4 cup of oil for this recipe.

Method:

1. In a bowl, mix together the chicken, garlic, cumin, coriander, sugar, lime zest, lime juice, a pinch of salt and approx. 1 tbsp of oil until everything is combined and evenly coated.

2. Heat another 1 tbsp of oil in a large frypan, then add the onion and a generous pinch of salt and fry until softened and it begins to brown. Place into a bowl and return the pan to the heat.

3. Add another tbsp of oil to the pan, then add in the capsicum and another pinch of salt. Fry until softened and the skin begins to blister, then place into the bowl with the onion and return the pan to the heat.

4. Add a final tbsp of oil to the pan, then fry the chicken until browned.

5. Return the onion and capsicum to the heat and mix together until all elements are relatively evenly dispersed.

6. Pour over the tequila and triple sec and stir until mostly evaporated. (This will take approx. 30 seconds)

7. Serve with wheat or corn tortillas and your favourite garnishes so people can assemble their own fajitas. (Usually I would just have some grated cheese, sour cream and salsa.)

Serves 4.

A video of this recipe is available at https://youtu.be/dNcA1B6HTQE.