Chicken kokkinisto

Kokkinisto is a Greek way of cooking and translates as "reddened".   It means that the meat is browned before adding to a stew which is made with a tomato-base sauce.  Almost all types of meat can be cooked this way.  In this dish the kokkinisto is made from chicken.  Using chicken thighs and a variety of herb and spices, the result is a flavoursome, succulent stew.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 80 Mins

Total Time: 95 Mins

Ingredients

4 tbs               Olive oil    

8                    Chicken thighs  - bones in, skin on         

450 gms          Onion  - roughly chopped

250 lm             Wine  - red 

4 tbs               Tomato purée         

450 ml             Water  - to dilute the tomato purée        

1 stick             Cinnamon  

4 berries          Allspice     

2                    Bay leaves

                      Pepper  - black, freshly ground 

                      Salt          

To serve

                      Rice  - saffron         

Method

Heat the olive oil over a medium heat in a lidded casserole dish.  Gently cook the chicken - skin-side down - for 10 minutes or until browned.  Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Add the onion to the hot oil and cook for 5 minutes until softened but not coloured.  Return the chicken to the pan, pour over the wine and simmer for 5 minutes to reduce by half.  Then add the tomato purée (diluted in the water), spices and bay leaves.  Season well, cover and simmer for an hour or until the chicken is tender.

Serve with saffron rice.

Wine recommendations

A rustic red wine goes best with this stew.

Conventional

     Côtes du Rhône

Interesting

     Beaujolais Villages

     Côtes de Gascogne rouge

     Côtes du Luberon