TO DRINK: Allesverloren Touriga Nacional, a rustic, spicy Mediterranean grape to match the strong flavours.
Chicken Basque
Ingredients
- 1,75kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 2 large red peppers
- 2 onions
- 50g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
- 45ml (3 tbsp) vegetable oil
- 120g chorizo sausage, cut into slices
- 5ml (1 tsp) fresh thyme leaves
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- 200g (1 cup) rice, uncooked
- 15ml (1 tbsp) tomato paste
- 5ml (1 tsp) ground paprika
- 375ml (1½ cups) chicken stock
- 170ml dry white wine
- 70g black olives, pitted
Instructions
Preheat the oven to 180°C.
Rub the chicken joints well all over with salt and pepper.
Slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into 6 strips.
Peel the onions and slice into strips of approximately the same size.
Drain the sun-dried tomatoes and cut into 1cm pieces
Heat the oil in a pot and brown the chicken pieces in batches until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel.
Sauté the onions and peppers in the same pan used for the chicken until glossy. Add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes, thyme and garlic and cook for 2 – 3 minutes.
Add the rice to the pan and stir to coat well with the other ingredients. Add the tomato paste and paprika. Deglaze the pan with the stock and wine and adjust seasoning.
Remove the pan from the heat and transfer all the contents to an ovenproof dish. Place the chicken on top of the rice mixture and scatter with the olives.
Cover the dish with a tight-fitting lid and bake until the rice is just cooked through but still a little al dente, about 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Serve the stew hot with a fresh green salad.
