A popular recipe for a chicken and vegetable stew from Spain. The term Chilindrón has its origin in the Provinces of Aragon and Rioja in Spain. A meat or chicken stew made with tomatoes, peppers, onions,
Yield: 4 servings
Time: 45 minutes
Ingredients:
- 4 halves of chicken breasts or 4 thighs and 4 legs or a combination thereof
- salt and pepper
- 4 Tbsp olive oil
- 2 large onions, cut into strips
- 1 green and red sweet pepper cut into strips
- 4 oz (120 g) Serrano ham or any other lean dry-cured ham, cut into strips
- 6 medium ripe tomatoes or 16 oz (450 g) canned tomatoes, drained
- 1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine
- about 12 black olives in oil
- 2 tsp capers, rinsed under water and patted dry
- flat-leaf parsley for garnish
Preparation:
Wash and pat chicken pieces dry. Sprinkle them liberally with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat until light haze forms. Brown chicken a few pieces at a time. Make sure you turn them from time to time until they are nicely brown from all sides. Transfer them to a plate.
Scrape the chicken bits from the bottom of the saucepan. Add more olive oil if necessary. Add the 1/2 cup (120 ml) white wine and scrape the bottom of the saucepan once more. Add onion, garlic, pepper, to the saucepan stirring constantly. Cook for about 8-10 minutes over moderate heat until vegetables are soft. Raise heat to high and add the tomatoes, cooking them briskly for 3-5 minutes. The sauce should be a bit thicker by now. Reduce heat again.
Return the chicken parts to the saucepan. Coat them evenly with the sauce. Cover the saucepan and let it simmer over low heat for 20-30 minutes. Again, the cooking time depends on the chicken pieces you use: thighs and drumsticks (about 30 minutes) and chicken breasts (about 20 minutes). The chicken should be tender but not falling apart. Stir in the black olives, capers, and Serrano ham. Adjust seasoning if necessary. Garnish with parsley on top.
Serve with rice or a crusty bread and a glass of wine.
