Onion Egg Chicken - Cigirtma
We are back, no more breaks, no vacations, we easily start again our daily routine and, of course, we return to the simple and tasty food. I want to begin this year with this pan-fried chicken recipe, cooked with onions and eggs. It's actually an Azerbaijani recipe and it's also called "Cigirtma". I tried it because it was a simple and fast chicken dish, but after that it became one of our favorites. It comes in handy when I don't feel like turning on the oven or complicating myself with other things. The sauce made from eggs and cooked onion gives a special flavor to the chicken legs. Also, you shouldn't ignore the butter in the recipe, especially if you want to eat tasty food, somewhat different and keto-friendly.
I've slightly adapted this recipe to our tastes. I use a little less butter and add some water, cooking cream or milk to the eggs, to make the sauce more creamy and soft (otherwise, it's more like an omelet) - it all depends on your tastes.
In a large skillet, place the chicken thighs skin side down (if they have). Note: you don't need to grease the pan with anything, nor do you need to preheat it.
Sprinkle with salt and pepper on top.
Add 40g of butter cut into pieces and pour half a glass of plain water.
Cover the pan with a lid and place on medium heat.
You will notice that the butter melts quickly and the meat will cook slowly.
The cooking time depends on the meat you are using - don't forget to turn it on the other side - it's very important that it cooks and browns slowly.
I'd say about 10-15 minutes on each side is enough (for the store-bought chickens). Pay attention to the heat, if the thighs brown too quickly, turn the heat down.
While the meat is cooking, peel and julienne an onion.
Melt another 40g of butter in a pan and sauté the onion until it browns nicely, turn off the heat and leave it for a while.
When the chicken is ready, optionally, you can add a little lemon juice on top - I often forget and nobody really notices the difference :)
Add the sauteed onion to the pan with the chicken.
Add salt to the eggs and beat well with a fork. Pour over in the pan.
To make the egg sauce a little creamier, I pour half a glass of water, cooking cream or milk (if you are on a milk keto diet, you are not allowed).
Cover the pan with a lid, cook over heat for a minute, then turn it off and leave it covered for another 10 minutes.
Serve warm with a vegetable salad or any favorite garnish.
Enjoy!
