Saturday 1 December 2012

Cha cha cha chicken...


A lot of garlic, one hot chili and Pimenton

My wife devised the appellation for this dish, it's based on a Spanish favourite. I love one pot cooking so much and this is one of the most wonderfully flavoursome in my repertoire of chicken dishes. The chicken always ends up so tender it melts in the mouth, the chorizo adds depth, sweetness and a peppery hit, the chilli gives heat, but the pimenton is really the ingredient of note. It turns the dish into a deep, richly robust prize of a meal with notes of roasted peeper and molasses.

Here are the ingredients I used, but as always you can substitute:

Chicken (any cut you like)
Chorizo sausage (I used 'forte' - hot)
Tin of tomatoes blitzed
Tomato Ketchup - a dollop
Tomato puree - the same
chopped thyme
dried oregano or rosemary
2 heaped teaspoons of dulce pimenton
Chili (amount of choice) Chopped
Chopped red onion
Chopped garlic (I used 5 cloves)
Salt/Pepper
a dash of balsamic vinegar
Chicken or vegetable stock if needed

Ok, I fry of the cubed chicken after coating it in plain flour seasoned with plenty of salt and pepper, when it has browned i remove it from the pan and clean the dish if necessary, add more oil and gently sweat the chopped onions for 5 minutes or so. They should be soft not browned. Add the chopped garlic and chili and put the lid back on to sweat for a few more minutes.

The paramount ingredient
Add the tin of blitzed tomatoes with a touch of sugar, the pimenton, dried herbs and chopped thyme, the ketchup, puree and stir well for a few minutes before adding the chorizo and sealed chicken cubes. Check the seasoning.

I then simmer on the hob for 10 minutes or so before checking how much sauce is left and if necessary add some stock - the meat should be covered - and remember, the flour in which the chicken was cooked will thicken the sauce nicely. Then put the dish in the oven and cook slowly for 45 minutes or so (my fan oven at 140-150) The chicken should be soft enough to cut with a spoon when it's done...

Served with Patatas Bravas and home made seeded loaf

This could be served with my Patatas Bravas dish, bread or even rice, I think you'll enjoy it.