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Pollo al chilindrón
Chicken with pepper, tomato and ham
Pollo al chilindrón: Aragonese chicken braised in red pepper, tomato and cured ham
Chilindrón is the red sauce that Aragon is known for across Spain: sweet red peppers, onion and tomato cooked down slowly with serrano ham until thick and glossy. Chicken is the most common partner (lamb is the other), and a big pot of it is a typical dish at summer village fiestas in the Pyrenees foothills and at family meals all year. This contains pork (cured serrano ham). The recipe uses a little white wine; use chicken stock instead for no alcohol. A common mistake is hurrying the sofrito: the peppers need a slow 20 minutes to soften and sweeten before the chicken goes back in. Chef's tip: if you have roasted red peppers or a spoonful of choricero pepper paste, stir some in for a deeper, smokier colour.
- Total time
- 90 min
- Difficulty
- easy
- Serves
- 4
Ingredients
- 3 ⅛ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone inskin on
- 1 ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp black pepper
- ¼ cup olive oil
- 3 ½ oz serrano hamdiced
- 2 onionssliced
- 4 clove garlicsliced
- 3 red peppersseeded and cut into strips
- 1 tsp sweet paprika
- ½ cup dry white wineor chicken stock
- 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoespeeled and chopped, or 1 x 400 g tin chopped tomatoes
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 tbsp flat-leaf parsley (optional)chopped
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Method
0/6 doneStep 1: Season 3 ⅛ lb chicken thighs and drumsticks, bone in with 1 ½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper. Heat ¼ cup olive oil in a wide casserole over a medium-high heat and brown the chicken in batches, skin side first, for 8 to 10 minutes until golden all over. Set aside. Wash your hands and the board after handling the raw chicken.
10 minStep 2: Lower the heat to medium, add 3 ½ oz serrano ham and fry for 2 minutes, until it starts to crisp and colour the oil.
2 minStep 3: Add 2 onions, 4 clove garlic and 3 red peppers with a pinch of salt. Cook gently, stirring now and then, for 20 minutes, until the peppers are very soft and the onions golden.
20 minStep 4: Stir in 1 tsp sweet paprika for 10 seconds, then pour in ½ cup dry white wine and let it bubble for 2 minutes until reduced by half. Add 1 ⅛ lb ripe tomatoes and 1 bay leaf and simmer for 5 minutes.
7 minStep 5: Return the chicken and any juices, skin side up, cover and simmer gently for 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat is tender, the juices run clear and the thickest piece reads 165°F by the bone. Uncover for the last 10 minutes if the sauce needs thickening.
32 minStep 6: Taste the sauce, remove the bay leaf, and serve scattered with parsley, with bread or fried potatoes.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 620 kcal
- Protein
- 48 g
- Carbs
- 14 g
- Fat
- 41 g
- Fibre
- 4 g
Nutrition values are estimates.
KrazyBadal
Good to know
- How long does pollo al chilindrón take?
- About 90 minutes in total: 20 minutes to prepare and 70 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 garlic?
- ½ tsp garlic paste or ⅛ tsp garlic powder per clove.
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