What? More chorizo? I know, I know; I’m starting toI think I’m addicted to the spicy sausage. This stew is filling and delicious, just the thing to whip up over spring break for a family meal. The chicken thighs become meltingly tender, and the bits of sausage with the chic peas are pure heaven. I loved this stew, and it will be a staple in our house for a long time.We served it with big hunks of crusty bread smeared with butter to sop up the juices, and a tossed green salad.
Chicken Chorizo Stew With Chick Peas
Adapted from Lucy Waverman
1 chorizo sausage, sliced (about ½ cup)
2 lbs bone in chicken thighs (you could use boneless/skinless, if you like)
½ tsp Paprika ( you could try smoked or hot, I used regular)
1 cup chopped onions
1 cup chopped fennel (I didn’t have fennel, so instead I used celery)
1 tbsp chopped garlic
½ cup white wine
1 cup canned tomatoes, chopped (I love Emma’s Italian tomatoes)
1 (19 oz) can chick peas, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp chopped parsley
Using a big skillet or pot, drizzle a bunch of olive oil in the bottom and heat it up on medium heat. Add your chorizo and saute it until it’s browned and crisp. Fish them out of the pan and set aside on a plate, far enough away that you won’t be tempted to nibble at the spicy bits while you are cooking.
Add the chicken to the pan, which by now will have lots of yummy flavored oil in it from the chorizo. Don’t throw that out! Lots of flavor there. Add the chicken to the pan and season with paprika, salt and pepper. Saute on all sides until it’s browned, which should take a few minutes per side. Set them aside on a plate and then drain all but around 2 tbsp fat out of the pan. Add the onions, fennel, and garlic to the pan now and cook until they are softened. Watch the bottom of the pan, you’ll have lots of bits from the sausage and chicken, which you don’t want to burn so you may need to turn the heat down a little.
Pour in the tomatoes, and wine, scraping up all the bits off the bottom of the pan as you go. Add the chicken and sausage back into the pan, then turn the heat up a bit and bring the mixture to a boil. Cover and turn the heat down again so that it will simmer nicely, for about 10 minutes or so so the chicken can cook through. Stir in the rinsed chick peas, and then uncover and simmer another 10 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. If you find it a bit watery at this point, feel free to add a few tablespoons of tomato paste. It’s easier if you remove the chicken to a plate, then stir in the tomato paste until it’s the thickness you like. Taste and check for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if you like, and the parsley.
Serve with crusty bread and a tossed salad!
Makes 4 good sized servings.
This was awesome! I said, “Hey, I’ve got a lonely can of chickpeas in the cupboard, I should make this! So I tweaked it slightly, twice as many thighs and larger can of pomodoro chopped tomatoes, and then, because this is my luck, I actually had a can of hominy. Which really? was pretty good with this. Excellent recipes-will make again. It’s a company recipe, if you need something quick, delicious and easy to impress with.