Mediterranean Rosemary Chicken - Soul Spices Kitchen

We have had one of those crazy weather weeks here in Barcelona… it’s something that happens every year, at around the same time… yet everyone seems to get slightly off balance and frustrated…every single time… why? Because it’s NOT SUPPOSED TO BE LIKE THIS !!!! Rain, thunder storms, grey, cloudy skies … not ideal, no.. plus, people seem to be walking around, totally overwhelmed, and also pretty unwell in general….

tsk

So I know this dish seems rather “wintery” in many ways…. but I knew it would do everyone a world of good… comfort food is always welcome…

I’ve really tried to give it a slight Spanish twist here, seeing as my brother and his wife are visiting… So there’s a bit of lovely “jamon Serrano” , some slightly spicy “pimenton”… along with capers, garlic and rosemary… and of course, plump tomatoes ( albeit in a can, nothing wrong with that at all!)

IMG_0306_opt — Step 1: frying of the ham, crisping them up slightly and giving flavour to the oil… once done, remove and set aside

IMG_0307_opt — Step 2: browning the chicken thighs…at this stage, season them with salt and pepper and add half the chopped Rosemary… seal all over and make sure you have a nice light golden colour on them… remove with a slotted spoon and set aside

IMG_0309_opt — Step 3: Add the sliced red onions, and saute on a medium heat till softenend…

IMG_0311_opt — Step 4: Once the onions have softened, add the garlic and red peppers, and allow the garlic to soften as well. Then you can add the tomato puree and capers and season again. After it bubbles, add the stock

IMG_0313_opt — Step5: Once you’ve brought the stock up to the boil, add the chicken and ham back in, along with them remaining Rosemary and a dash of “pimenton”… bring to the boil againm then simmer and cover for 20 minutes or until chicken is nice and tender!

Mediterranean Rosemary Chicken…

Prep time: 5 mins

Cook time: 30 mins

Total time: 35 mins

Serves: 4-6

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
2 slices of Serrano ham or any good quality cured ham, chopped roughly
8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1 rosemary sprig, leaves finely chopped
1 red onion, finely sliced
3 garlic cloves, sliced
4 roasted red peppers ( the bottles ones), sliced
400g can chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp capers, drained
100 ml chicken stock

Instructions

Heat half the oil in a non-stick pan, then fry the chopped ham until fragrant and slightly crispy. Remove and set aside. Brown the chicken all over. Season with salt and black pepper and add half the chopped rosemary, stir to coat, then set aside on a plate.
In the same pan, heat the rest of the oil, then gently cook the onion for about 5 mins until soft. Add the garlic,red peppers and remaining rosemary, then fry for a few mins more until fragrant. Pour in the tomatoes and capers with the stock. Bring to the boil, then return the ham and chicken pieces to the pan. Cover, then cook for 20 mins until the chicken is cooked through. Season and serve with crusty bread.

With a beautiful bottle of red or white, this is a great one pot dinner that’s even worthy of a special occasion I think! It may be simple but it’s packed with flavour and you can add more chilli if you like…

Serve with bread, rice or pasta… The kids had this with white rice and roast potatoes on the side and they really enjoyed it!

So if there’s a strange, wintery day coming your way this spring, this is your go-to meal for sure! Cheers to comfort food!!

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