Pollo en pepitoria — a classic Spanish braise of chicken in a fragrant saffron, almond and egg-yolk sauce. Rich, golden and deeply comforting, lovely served with rice.
- Pinch Saffron
- 4 tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- 6 Garlic Clove
- 30g Stale Bread
- 2 tbs chopped Parsley
- 8 Chicken Thighs
- 1 chopped Onion
- 1 chopped Carrots
- 1 chopped Celery
- 250ml Dry Sherry
- 350ml Chicken Stock
- 1 Cinnamon Stick
- Pinch Cloves
- 2 Bay Leaves
- 2 Egg
- 2 tblsp Almonds
Video
Preparation
- Put the saffron in a small bowl with 75ml just-boiled water, stir, and set aside. Heat 2 tbsp of the oil in a broad, shallow casserole. Cook the garlic until pale gold, then add the blanched almonds and bread and fry until everything is golden. Tip into a food processor with some salt, pepper and the parsley, and whizz together.
- Heat 2 more tbsp oil in the pan and brown the chicken all over, seasoning as you cook, then set aside in a bowl.
- Remove all but about 2 tbsp of fat from the pan and cook the onion, carrot and celery until golden. Add the sherry, stirring to dislodge any brown bits, then pour in the stock and the saffron with its water and bring to the boil. Turn down to a simmer, add the spices and bay leaves, and return the chicken with any juices. Season and gently cook with the lid on for about 40 minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl again, leaving the sauce in the pan, and cover with foil to keep warm. Separate the egg yolks from the whites and roughly chop the whites. Mash the yolks in a small bowl and gradually mix in a couple of tablespoons of the sauce. Bring the remaining sauce to the boil to reduce a little, then turn down the heat and remove the bay and cinnamon. Add the egg yolks and cook for a few minutes until thickened, then stir in the almond mixture. Return the chicken and heat for about 3 minutes, spooning the sauce over. Season to taste.
- Scatter over the extra parsley, the almond pieces and the chopped egg whites, and serve with rice if you like.
