The simple one -winning Mediterranean chicken dinner that is repeated, I cook

I am the kind of cook that relies on spare recipes-the food you make on the autopilot when the inspiration runs low and the dinner still has to go to the table. But with the passage of time I only leaned so much on the spare techniques– I can adapt to the reliable frames to anything in the fridge. The bones remain unchanged, but the specifics may shift. The balance of cognition and surprise keeps things exciting. When the parts are thoughtfully chosen, they feel reassuring and new.

This chicken multiplication, which has a spanish-inspired taste, is exactly such a meal. It follows a simple formula: crisp -skin thighs, aromatic vegetables, a boozy splash and a unique oven. But what distinguishes it, a combination of caramelized fennel, smoky chorizo, jam onions, sweet peppers and nuts, delicious sherry soup, which brings it all together. It is lively, intensely flavored and cozy like hell – like a weekend project that can be pulled on a weekday.

The power of a frying pan (and starts cold)

This recipe focuses on the basics of good grasping, but simplifies the process in a way that feels refreshingly simple. It starts by placing the chicken thigh on the side of the skin in a room temperature pan. This may seem contradictory, but it is a trick that encourages a slow, constant oily display and maximizes the crunch of the skin. When you turn the thighs, the skin is gold, the pan buzzes with rendered fats and founded the delicious food.

The use of only a frying pan also means that all elements of the recipe are beneficial that came before it. The next fennel, onion and chorizo ​​will pick up the liking of the chicken and thigh tanning and creates a taste that is recovered with every step.

Balanced smoky, delicious, sweet spear construction

From now on, the aromas take over. The fennel – cut into thick wedges that soften and sweeten when they bake – provides a herbal, almost license lifting that balances the tastier flavors of the food. Onions, garlic and peppers turn around the aromatic base, while smoked peppers and fresh thyme show warm and complexity.

Then there is the Spanish-style chorizo-a healed, ready to eat, not the fresh sausage. Sliced ​​on bite -sized pieces and roasted with vegetables, deep red oil is made and infused the vessel with a smoky, pork intensity. Its spices flourish in the chicken grave when it cooks and gives the taste in the pan.

After the aromas are softened and browned, the rapid spraying of the flour thickens the mixture to make the brazing fluid be light sauce, but enough to stick to the chickpeas and coat the fork. Then comes the dry sherry, which destroys the pan and brings nuts, acidic brightness that cuts through this wealth.

Sherry: my secret weapon for the taste

If you don't cook with Sherry yet, I hope this food will convince you to start. A Spanish enriched wine with a distinctive oxidized character, Sherry adds depth and complexity without overloading the food. The Fino or Amontillado Sherry works best here – dry, delicious and nuts, nicely paired with chorizo ​​and chicken.

Unlike wine, which can sometimes fall into the background during cooking, Sherry holds its own. A modest 3/4 cup combined with chicken meat and frying pan and becomes a steamer. After a short cooking, to cook alcohol, the character disappears until the final bite.

Why do the chickpeas work well here?

The canned chickpeas not only bulk here, but also plays a central role in the texture and attractiveness of the food. Their creamy center absorbs the smoky, delicious liquid when the dish smoothes and offers earthy contrast with rich chicken and melon gentle vegetables. Unlike the finer canned beans, the chickpeas holds itself well with longer cooking, preserving their shape without turning towards a fungus.

In addition, the food is converted from a protein vessel into a fully satisfactory dinner-no need for rice or potatoes (although a piece of crispy bread is always welcome when the pan has slipped).

Allow the oven to make a heavy lifting

After the chicken is back in the pan, it is placed in the oven, discovered, leaving the skin crisp. This delivery phase allows gently cooking the chicken, while chickpeas, chorizo ​​and vegetables absorb the broth.

The meat thermometer strives for 185-190 ° F, which ensures that the chicken thigh is thoroughly steamed and juicy. Unlike chicken breasts, the thighs will only be better when they move to 165 ° F and become weaker and more shreddable. Dark meat has more oily and connective tissues, which means that it remains not only at higher temperatures, but also creates a better, gentle, less chewing and, perhaps most critical, less slim texture.

Finish strongly with butter, salt and bright herbs

Simmer the sauce with parallel butter from very much to silky. The butter enriches the pan and bring everything together, while a handful of chopped parsley is a welcome color and adds freshness. This is not an exciting surface, but it is a real difference.

Taste the sauce and don't be afraid to continue to finish – Chickpeas can absorb a lot of salts. Lemon or vinegar splash is not necessary, but it may feel good if you want to push this brightness a little longer.

And remember, while the bones of the recipe are strong, there is room for the game: replace the canned white beans (they will fall better but will continue to be delicious), add spinach or kale towards the end of the braise to come down or replace Chorizo ​​with Pancetta. Like any good technique-controlled recipe, the base is flexible, forgiving and always satisfactory.

Cooking method
(Keep on the screen awake)

• 8 (5-7 ounces) bone, skin chicken thighcut out

• 2 teaspoon (8 g) Diamond crystal kosher saltshared

• 1 1/2 teaspoon smoked peppersshared

• 1 yellow or white onionhalved and thinly sliced

• 1 large fennelThe stems are thrown away, the bulb declined and cut into 1/2 inches into thick wedges

• 4 ounce (113 g) marinated Spanish chorizoCut into 1/4 inch pieces

• 1 red, yellow or orange paprika (about 4 ounce; 113 g), dried, inoculated and cut into 1/2 inch pieces

• 4 clove garlicthinly sliced

• 2 teaspoon minced cord

• 2 tablespoon (16 g) universal flour

• 3/4 cup (180 ml) dry sherryshared

• 1 cup (240 ml) chicken soup

• 2 (15 ounces) cans chickpealowered and rinsed

• 3 tablespoon (42 g) Salted butter, Cut into 3 pieces

• 2 tablespoon minced fresh parsley for serving, optional

1. Set the baking rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 205 ° C 400 ° F. Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle the whole with 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1 teaspoon of peppers.

2. Place the chicken, the side of the skin down, in a 12 -inch non -stick pan at a room temperature. Place the medium-high heat and cook until the fat is and the skin is golden brown, approx. 10 minutes. Turn chicken and cook until the second side is browned, approx. 5 minutes.

3. Move the chicken to a large plate with the pliers. Book 2 tablespoons in a pan and discard or save the remaining chicken grave for further use.

4. Heat the pan with fat at medium to high heat until glittering. Add onions, fennel, chorizo, peppers and 1/2 teaspoon of salt and cook, occasionally mixed until the onions and fennel are slightly browned for 7-9 minutes.

5. Add garlic, thyme and the remaining 1/2 teaspoon of peppers and cook until the aromatic and garlic is beginning to tan, approx. 2 minutes. Stir in the flour and cook until it remains dry flour, 1 minute. Stir in sherry, broth and chickpeas and boil. Boil for 3 minutes, then remove from heat.

6. On the nesting side of the chicken skin, upward into a frying pan and with the accumulated fruit juices. Place the pan in the oven and cook, uncovered until the chicken register 185-190 ° F (85-88 ° C) for 20-25 minutes.

7. Move the chicken to the bowl of bowl. Place the pan with sauce and vegetables on medium to high heat (the pan will be hot). Stir in the butter and cook until the butter melts and the sauce is slightly thickened and shiny for 3-5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve chicken, vegetables and sauce, sprinkled with parsley, if necessary.

Special equipment

High -frying pan

Make-Head and Storage

The residue can be cooled in an airtight container for up to 5 days. I suggest that you store the chicken separately from sauce and vegetables.