Spanish Almond Chicken with Saffron-Wine Sauce
But when preparing the meal, Spanish eateries and tapas bars frequently skimp. They'll substitute food coloring for the pricy saffron or cut back on the bland Californian nuts in favor of the less expensive marcona almonds. It's a formula for blandness that yields a flat, gruel-like sauce devoid of flavor or personality. No, my host mother.
The pimentón oil is entirely mine; without it, the dish would go straight to Brown Food jail. The chicken and aromatics in this recipe are straight from Mara ngeles' scratchpad. I'm all for simplifying food, but in this case, the red drizzle not only provides color but also a smoky flavor reminiscent of a campfire that ties the ingredients together. M.F.K. Fisher famously stated that a good dinner should "shock people from their habits, not simply of meat-potato-gravy, but of thought, of behavior." Andalusian abuelas may point their fingers at Mara ngeles and me. Salutation to that
Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, divided;
- 1 teaspoon of pimentón, smoky Spanish paprika
- 3 lb. bone-in, skin-on, patted-dry chicken thighsfreshly ground black pepper and Kosher salt
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut finely
- 2 teaspoons of all-purpose flour, divided with 4 minced garlic cloves
- 1 glass of dry white wine
- chicken stock, 2 cups
- 1/4 teaspoon dried oreganocrushed saffron threads in a little pinch
- 10 oz. (about 2 cups) of roasted, salted marcona almonds, finely ground, plus additional nuts, coarsely chopped, for garnish
- Sherry vinegar, 1 tablespoon
- Leaves of parsley, for garnish
Instructions
STEP 1
2 tablespoons of the oil and the paprika should be mixed together in a big skillet. Turn the heat to medium and cook, stirring constantly, for about a minute, until aromatic. Put aside after transferring to a jar. Return the pot to the stove after cleaning it.
STEP 2
Sprinkle salt and black pepper on the chicken. Add 2 tablespoons of oil and raise the heat to high. Add the chicken in batches, skin-side down, and cook, rotating once, for about 8 minutes, until browned on both sides. Place on a platter.
STEP 3
Increase the heat to medium-high and add the remaining oil and onions to the empty skillet. Cook for 12 minutes or until tender and transparent, stirring periodically. Add three of the garlic cloves, and simmer for a further minute or so, or until aromatic. Cook for about a minute, stirring constantly, until there are no longer any white streaks. Turn up the heat, add the white wine, and simmer for three minutes or until it thickens and bubbles. Stir in the stock, oregano, and saffron gradually. Insert the reserved Bring the chicken, along with any accumulated fluids, to a boil. Turn the heat to medium-low and cook the chicken for about 55 minutes, slightly covered and rotating once halfway through.
STEP 4
Cook for an additional three minutes after adding the almonds, vinegar, and remaining garlic. Serve with the parsley and almonds that have been roughly chopped and the saved paprika oil.