Chicken with Saffron, Smoked Paprika and Garlic
Author Notes: My husband's family is originally from Spain, and since we've been together, I've been inspired by family gatherings and trips to Asturias to infuse a Spanish sensibility into my cooking. As a member of a bland, culture-less American family, green bean casserole and mushroom soup-based cuisine are my only authentic heritage, so I've had to make it up as I go along. Trying on my husband's heritage for size, I found it fit nicely. Over the years, the following chicken recipe has slowly evolved from one inspired by bouillabaisse written by Martha Rose Schulman to one with a distinct flavor from south of the Pyrenees. —bpfox
Serves 4 to 6
- 1 chicken, cut into 8 pieces
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 onion, diced
- 5 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 14.5 ounce can of diced tomatoes
- 1/2 cup white wine
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon dried orange peel
- 1 bay leaf
- 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
- 2 pinches of saffron, toasted lightly in a small skillet beforehand
- salt and pepper to taste
- Remove the skin from the chicken and lightly sprinkle with coarse salt.
- Heat the olive oil in the bottom of a Dutch oven or large saucepan and sauté the garlic and onion until soft.
- Add the tomatoes, chicken, white wine, chicken broth, dried orange peel, plenty of black pepper and the rest of the spices. Stir gently and bring to a simmer.
- Simmer for 45-60 minutes or until chicken is tender. Taste and adjust seasonings.
- Serve with couscous (my favorite, but not my family's), a large green salad, and a crisp and flavorful Albariño.
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almost 6 years ago Debora Morgan
I'm conflicted about this recipe. We made it with chicken and the chicken itself came out surprisingly bland, even though the sauce itself was very flavorful and the tomatoes just soaked it up deliciously. It just didn't get into the chicken at all. I also couldn't taste the onions. I'm not giving up on this recipe just yet, I might try replacing the white onions with shallots, adding more tomatoes, thickening it up a bit and making it with the suggested couscous and (maybe) much smaller pieces of chicken.
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