Pollo en pepitoria

Method13 steps · about 1 hr 45 min

1. 1

   Step 1: Put the saffron in a small bowl with all75 millilitres just-boiled water. Stir and leave to infuse while you prepare the other ingredients.

   Uses 1 good pinch saffron · 75 ml just-boiled water for saffron

2. 2

   Step 2: Peel all six garlic cloves. Heat only two tablespoons of the olive oil (2 tbsp) in a broad shallow casserole. Cook all six prepared garlic cloves until pale gold, then add only the35 grams blanched picada almonds and all the torn stale bread (30 g). Fry until everything is golden; keep the separate toasted flaked garnish almonds untouched.

   Uses 2 tbsp olive oil for picada · 6 garlic cloves · 35 g blanched almonds for picada · 30 g stale bread, torn for picada

3. 3

   Step 3: Tip all the actual golden garlic-almond-bread mixture into a food processor with the two tablespoons chopped picada parsley and a little salt and black pepper. Process to make the picada and hold it for thickening the sauce later.

   Uses All actual golden picada mixture · 2 tbsp chopped parsley for picada · A little seasoning salt for picada · A little black pepper for picada

4. 4

   Step 4: Heat only the remaining two tablespoons olive oil in the same casserole. Brown all eight skin-on, bone-in thighs on all sides, seasoning with salt and black pepper as they cook. Transfer the browned thighs to a bowl and hold them with their juices; retain the actual pan fat for the next step.

   Uses Remaining2 tbsp olive oil for chicken · 8 skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs · Some seasoning salt for chicken · Some black pepper for chicken

5. 5

   Step 5: Remove and discard all but about two tablespoons of the actual pan fat. Cook the chopped onion (1), carrot (1) and celery (1) in that retained fat until golden. Add all250 millilitres sherry and stir, scraping up the browned bits from the pan.

   Uses Retain about2 tbsp actual pan fat; hold the browned thighs separately · 1 onion, finely chopped · 1 carrot, chopped · 1 celery stalk, chopped · 250 ml dry sherry

6. 6

   Step 6: Pour all the chicken stock (350 ml) and all the actual saffron with its infusion water into the deglazed vegetables. Bring to the boil, reduce to a simmer, add the broken cinnamon stick (1), ground cloves and both bay leaves (2), then return all the actual browned thighs with their juices.

   Uses All actual vegetables and sherry in casserole · 350 ml liquid chicken stock · All actual saffron with its infusion water · 1 cinnamon stick, broken in two · 1 pinch ground cloves · 2 bay leaves · Only all actual browned thighs with accumulated juices

7. 7

   Step 7: Season the actual braise as needed, cover and simmer gently for about forty minutes until the thighs are cooked through and tender. Check the thickest meat, away from the bone, reaches74°C before proceeding.

   Simmer chicken thighs until tender and cooked · 40 minUses All actual chicken and braising liquid · A little salt for braising sauce, as needed · A little black pepper for braising sauce, as needed

8. 8

   Step 8: Lift all the actual cooked thighs into a bowl and cover with foil to keep warm, leaving the actual sauce in the casserole. Separate the yolks from the two already hard-boiled eggs and roughly chop their whites; hold the yolks and whites separately.

   Uses All actual cooked thighs and sauce, separated here · 2 hard-boiled eggs, shelled and halved

9. 9

   Step 9: Mash both actual hard-boiled yolks in a small bowl and gradually mix in a couple of tablespoons of the actual sauce. Hold that tempered yolk mixture. Bring the sauce remaining in the casserole to the boil and reduce a little until it will lightly coat the chicken, then turn down the heat.

   Uses Use the actual sauce and all separated yolks; keep thighs and whites held

10. 10

    Step 10: Remove and discard both bay leaves and all the cinnamon-stick pieces from the actual reduced sauce. Stir in all the actual tempered yolk mixture and cook gently for a few minutes until thickened; the cloves are ground and remain in the sauce.

    Uses All actual reduced sauce and tempered yolk mixture

11. 11

    Step 11: Stir all the actual held picada into the actual yolk-thickened sauce. Return all the actual cooked thighs and any juices, then heat for about three minutes until piping hot, spooning the sauce over the meat.

    Heat cooked thighs in completed pepitoria sauce · 3 minUses All actual thickened sauce · All actual prepared picada · Only all actual warm cooked thighs and their juices

12. 12

    Step 12: Taste the completed cooked sauce and adjust its salt and black pepper only if needed.

    Uses The complete actual cooked dish · Final seasoning salt only if needed · Final black pepper only if needed

13. 13

    Step 13: Scatter the separate extra parsley and all two tablespoons already toasted flaked garnish almonds over the actual finished chicken. Add the actual held chopped egg whites if desired. Serve as four portions, with the optional already cooked rice if using.

    Uses All actual completed chicken and sauce · Extra chopped parsley to serve · 2 tbsp toasted flaked almonds for garnish · The actual chopped whites, if desired · Cooked rice to serve, optional; quantity as desired