AI-generated image
Mar i muntanya
Mar i muntanya: Empordà chicken and prawn casserole with a chocolate and nut picada
Sea and mountain: the cooks of the Empordà, between the Pyrenees and the Costa Brava, have long put chicken and seafood in one pot, and this version with prawns is the one most families make for a celebration lunch. The sauce is a dark sofrito finished with a picada of almonds, hazelnuts, garlic and a little dark chocolate, which adds depth rather than sweetness. It uses wine; the alcohol-free option is in the ingredient list. Chef's tip: cook the prawns only briefly at the start and return them at the end, so they stay juicy while the chicken braises.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- medium
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
For the picada
Shop this recipe on Amazon
Spices & pantry
Fresh ingredients (6)
Links open Amazon in a new tab. As an Amazon Associate, WhatToEat.Today earns from qualifying purchases.
Method
0/7 doneStep 1: Season 2 ⅝ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks and 12 large raw prawns with 1 tsp salt. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a wide casserole over a high heat and sear the prawns for 1 minute a side, until just pink. Lift them out; they will finish cooking later.
2 minStep 2: Brown the chicken in the same oil, skin-side down first, for 10 minutes, turning, until golden all over. Lift out.
10 minStep 3: Lower the heat, add 2 onions and cook gently for 15 minutes until soft and deep golden. Add 3 ripe tomatoes and cook for 8 minutes into a thick, dark sofrito.
23 minStep 4: Pour in ½ cup dry white wine and bubble for 2 minutes until the smell of alcohol fades. Return the chicken with 1 ¼ cups chicken stock and 1 bay leaf. Cover and simmer for 25 minutes.
27 minStep 5: Pound ⅔ oz blanched almonds, ½ oz hazelnuts, 2 cloves garlic, ½ oz dark chocolate (70%) and 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley into a paste with a spoonful of the sauce. Stir it into the casserole.
Step 6: Return the prawns and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until the sauce thickens and the prawns are pink and opaque right through, and the chicken reaches 165°F next to the bone with clear juices. A common mistake is adding the picada too early; the nuts can catch and the sauce goes muddy.
5 minStep 7: Remove the bay leaf and serve with bread or rice.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 560 kcal
- Protein
- 52 g
- Carbs
- 12 g
- Fat
- 33 g
- Fibre
- 3 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does mar i muntanya take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 30 minutes to prepare and 60 minutes to cook.
- How many people does it serve?
- 4 as written. Change the servings above the ingredients and every amount scales to match.
- Is it gluten free?
- Yes, as written. Check the labels on stock, sauces and spice mixes, which sometimes contain gluten.
- What can I use instead of onions?
- 2 shallots per onion.
- What can I use instead of ripe tomatoes?
- Tinned chopped tomatoes: a 400g tin for about 6 tomatoes (in cooked dishes, not salads).
Reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to cook it.
Rate this recipe
Sign in to rate and review this recipe.
You might also like
Horchata de chufa
Horchata de chufa is the drink of Valencia's summer, sold ice-cold in the city's horchaterías with long, soft fartons pastries for dipping. It is made from chufas, or tiger nuts: small wrinkled tubers grown around the village of Alboraya just north of Valencia, which have their own protected designation of origin. Soaked, ground with water, strained and sweetened, they give a creamy, nutty, naturally dairy-free milk with a hint of cinnamon. Valencians drink it very cold, or half-frozen as 'granizada'. Chef's tip: soak the tiger nuts for a full 24 hours and change the water once; they must be plump and soft enough to blend into a fine pulp, or the horchata will be thin and taste of raw starch.
Crema catalana
Crema catalana is the classic dessert of Catalonia, served in shallow round earthenware dishes with a glassy layer of burnt sugar on top. Traditionally it was made for Saint Joseph's Day on 19 March, which is why it is also called crema de Sant Josep. It is older than French crème brûlée and different in style: made with milk rather than cream, lightly thickened with cornflour and flavoured with lemon zest and cinnamon, so it is lighter and fresher. Catalans caramelise the top with a hot iron disc called a 'cremador'; a cook's blowtorch does the same job. Chef's tip: burn the sugar just before serving, not earlier; the crust stays crisp only for about 20–30 minutes before the moisture of the custard softens it.
Chicken kdra with almonds
Kdra takes its name from the tall copper pot it was cooked in, and in Fez it is a festive dish for weddings and family gatherings rather than an everyday tagine. The sauce is the point: kilos of onion melted down with smen, saffron, white pepper and cinnamon until it turns pale gold and creamy, with no tomato or paprika at all. Soft chickpeas and almonds simmered until tender go into it, and the whole thing is scooped up with bread. Expect a mellow, perfumed, buttery richness rather than heat. Chef's tip: soak and simmer the blanched almonds with the chicken; they lose their crunch and become creamy like the chickpeas, which is how Fassi cooks like them.
Moroccan