Catalonia Chicken Stew

Ingredients for 4

1.5-1.8 kg chicken, cut into portions, season

with salt and black pepper

2 onions finely chopped

3 tbsp olive oil

1/2 cup white wine

1 1/2 cup chicken stock

3 thyme sprigs

1 bay leave

Making the Picada (Catalonia -Style

Pesto):

1 tbsp olive oil

1 thick of sliced bread, crusts removed, cut

in pieces

40g pine nuts

2 garlic cloves- cut in slices

pinch of saffron threads or powder

1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

2 tbsp chopped Italian parsley

2 tbsp lemon juice

2 egg yolks

Complement with broccoli, zucchini or

green beans

Serves 4

Method:

1. Heat 3 tbsp of the oil in the casserole dish over medium heat and brown the

chicken pieces for 5 minutes. Remove from heat onto a plate. Add onions and

cook gently on low heat for 6 minutes until translucent.

2. Return the chicken to the casserole dish, adding wine, stock, thyme and bay leaf.

Warm-up and simmer, covered over low heat for 1 hour.

3. While cooking the chicken, making the Picada. Add 1 tbsp of the oil in a heavy

based pan over medium heat. Add bread and pine nuts and fry for 3 minutes until

golden. Remove and drain on paper towel and cool slightly. Put in a mortar pestle

or food processor, add garlic, saffron, cinnamon and 1 tbsp parsley and grind to a

coarse, crumbly consistency.

4. Once the chicken has been cooking for 1 hour, remove just the chicken from the

casserole dish to a plate and keep warm. Add the pine nut pesto to the casserole dish

and cook for 1 minute. Remove from the heat and whisk in the lemon juice and egg

yolks, and parsley. Return the casserole dish to the stovetop and stir over very low

heat until thickened slightly. Season to taste, return the chicken and gently warm

through.

Notes:

This dish features the sauce thickened with “Picada” which is the Catalonia Style

Pesto- traditionally a blend of toasted nuts, herb, garlic and bread. Picada is usually

stirred into the stew or a braise during the final minutes of cooking time and has a

quite unique taste.

Enjoy with Spanish wine!

Written by Kumiko