Spanish Chicken Stew

Right, I'm going to be completely upfront about this dish.  It photographs abysmally but it tastes seriously good.  

It's also easy.  Everything goes in one pot, the lid goes on and you forget about it for an hour until you are ready to eat.  We had ours with rice but try it with mash, fresh crusty bread or on a jacket potato.  It would even work with pasta.  Add a green salad and you are good to go.

Here is what you need

Couple of chicken legs
Smoked paprika
2 cloves crushed garlic
Olive oil
Chorizo (sliced)
Red onion (quartered and separated)
2 peppers
Handful of cherry tomatotes
Tablespoon dried thyme
Tablespoon dried oregano
Tin chopped tomatoes
Black pepper

In a heavy bottomed saucepan heat a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and lightly toast the smoked paprika (about a tablespoon) and the two crushed garlic gloves.  When fragrant press the chicken legs skin side down into the mix and brown.  Turn and brown the other side, remove and put to one side.

One by one throw the other ingredients into the pan in the same order as the list above, letting each one sit for a minute before adding the next. 

Finally add the chicken back to the pot, stir the lot together and whack a lid on the top.  Turn down to the lowest flame setting and simmer for an hour, stirring occassionally.

Serve with whatever fixings you fancy.

 Keep hold of leftovers for lunch.  The flavours just get better overnight!

P*ssed Up Pasta

This recipe takes it's inspiration from the Italian Drunken Noodles version that has been doing the rounds for a while.  Seeing as it is nigh on impossible to get decent Italian sausages in Morrison's where I live and I couldn't be bothered to drive around town in rush hour to try and get to one of the supermarkets I tweaked it.  This is more like a Spanish version as it uses chorizo which is absolutely fine by me as I love chorizo.

The first time I made this for Steve I got a lot of very satisfied noises and a 'that was amazeballs'.  He knows it's a phrase I can't stand (I am of the firm opinion that every use drops your IQ by 10 points.  This is also true of 'boi' and 'totes'.  Please feel free to argue this with me) so this was in a roundabout way one of the highest compliments he could have paid it. 

On this occasion, I'll overlook it.

This is what I bought

4 little fat chorizo cooking sausages, chopped
Malfaldine pasta ribbons
1 red and 1 orange pepper, de-seeded and thinly sliced
3 cloves garlic, crushed
1/2 cup white wine
1 onion, finely sliced
Bunch of fresh basil, finely sliced

You also need:
Olive oil
Tin of chopped tomatoes
Dried basil
Dried oregano
Salt and pepper
I also added in 3 sausages as I had some left over in the fridge from the daal but it's not necessary; it just adds bulk and texture as opposed to flavour.

Next time I think it could handle even more oomph - equal measures of vodka to the wine would be a great version.  Slightly less Spanish but I'm all for cross-cultural shenanigans.   And chili.  However, if you have been reading any of the dinner recipes on this blog that should come as absolutely no surprise to you. 

In a heavy bottom pan heat a little olive oil and cook the chorizo (and sausage) for a few minutes allowing the chorizo to release its juices.

Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and chuck it in a bowl for the time being.

Add the onion to the chorizo juices and cook until caramelised, stirring frequently.
Add the salt, pepper and dried herbs to the onion.
Add the peppers and allow the whole lot to soften slightly.
Add the garlic and cook until it becomes fragrant.

Start to cook the pasta according to the packet instructions.

Throw the wine into the onion and pepper mix and cook on a high heat until it has nearly completely reduced.

Add the chopped tomatoes to the sauce and then add the chorizo and the fresh basil.

Cook for 3-4 minutes to allow the flavours to mingle and then add 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil to make the sauce rich and creamy.  Cook on a high heat to reduce and thicken the sauce.

Drain the pasta and add it directly to the sauce, turning gently to combine it.

Serve and enjoy.  It's messy and so probably not first date material food.

Actually, thinking about it, if my first date did not appreciate this and the mess that comes with it they wouldn't get a second date from me.