Wednesday, December 20, 2006

Chicken with chorizo

For those who don't know what chorizo is, its a spicy Spanish pork sausage with a texture akin to that of Chinese sausages (lap chong) but with a stronger smoked, rather than sweet, taste. It goes very well with tomato based casseroles as it adds a rich complexity to the sauce. I have another recipe for chorizo, chickpea and chorizo stew but as M can't stand the taste of chickpeas, its going to be hard for me to cook it.

First, spread paprika evenly on chicken portions and season with salt. Pan fry it with olive oil till the chicken is brown. Be careful not to cook it at too high a heat as paprika burns easily. Remove the chicken from the pan and place in an oven proof dish.Fry sliced onions for a while and add garlic and chopped up chorizo. Fry for around two minutes and add white wine, canned tomatoes and bay leaves. Bring to the boil and pour the tomato mixture over the chicken. Bake the chicken in the oven at 190 degrees with a lid for around 40 minutes. Remove the lid and cook further for another 30 minutes. Serve with pasta and bay leaves to garnish.