Chicken with Sherry and picada

In Catalonia, picada is a thickener - and flavour enhancer -added towards the end of cooking.  The ingredients of a typical Catalan picada can vary, but some common elements include: almonds, garlic, bread, herbs and spices and olive oil.

Chicken cooked with Sherry and picada, produces a dish typical of Spain and Catalonia – full of Mediterranean flavours.

Preparation Time: 15 Mins

Cooking Time: 70 Mins

Total Time: 85 Mins

Ingredients

For 2 servings…

4                    Chicken thighs         

                     Pepper      

                     Salt          

1½ tbs            Olive oil     

½                   Onion  - chopped very finely    

3                    Tomatoes  - plum     

200 ml             Stock  - chicken       

60 ml              Sherry  - amontillado or oloroso

1                    Bay leaf     

1 strip             Orange zest

1 sprig             Thyme      

1 slice             Bread  - country, crusts removed and torn up         

1 tbs               Almonds  - flaked     

2 cloves           Garlic  - chopped finely          

1 pinch            Cinnamon  

1 pinch            Fennel seeds           

1 tbs               Parsley  - chopped roughly      

1 pinch            Saffron      

Method

Season the chicken thighs all over.

Heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a large shallow casserole and brown the chicken pieces on both sides.  Lift the joints out and reserve them.

Sauté the onion in the oil left in the casserole until soft and then add the tomatoes.  Cook over a medium heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture becomes thickish.  Season.  Add the chicken stock and sherry.  Bring to the boil and add the bay leaf, orange zest and thyme.  Turn down the heat to a gentle simmer and return the chicken pieces along with any juices that have come out of them.  Cook over a medium-low heat for 35 minutes.

To make the picada, fry the bread in the remaining olive oil and then put it in a mortar along with the almonds, garlic, spices and parsley.  Crush them together until a coarse mixture is achieved.

Put the saffron in a bowl with 50 ml of the cooking juices from the casserole.  Stir and add to the casserole followed by the picada.  Season.  Cook gently for five minutes or until the mixture has thickened.  Check the seasoning and serve.

Wine recommendations

A red or a white wine.

Conventional

     Rioja

Interesting

     Corbières

     Côtes du Luberon rouge or blanc

     Côtes du Rhône rouge, rosé or blanc

     Lirac rouge or blanc