Almonds are plentiful and stunningly good in Spain, and appear in lots of classic recipes there. They are used primarily in sweet dishes but in this savoury recipe they serve two purposes, giving it a subtle underlying flavour and also thickening the sauce.
preparation time 30 minutes
cooking time 30 to 40 minutes
serves 4
Ingredients
75 ml (3 fl oz) olive oil
1 x 1.6 kg (31⁄2 lb) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
20 whole almonds, skinned, plus 25 g (1 oz) chopped almonds
125 g (4 oz) onions, finely diced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
50 g (2 oz) white bread, crusts removed
a pinch of ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, plus extra to garnish
150 ml (5 fl oz) dry sherry
300 ml (10 fl oz) chicken stock
a pinch of saffron strands
1 bouquet garni (1 sprig of thyme, 3 sprigs of parsley, 1 bay leaf, all encased in 2 short lengths of celery and tied with string)
75 ml (3 fl oz) double cream
2 egg yolks
25 g (1 oz) sesame seeds, toasted
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 Heat the oil in a large pan, add the chicken pieces and season on both sides with salt and pepper. Cook over a medium heat until well browned all over, then remove from the pan and set aside.
2 Add the whole almonds to the pan with the onions and garlic and cook gently for 2–3 minutes.
3 Transfer the mixture to a food processor, add the bread, cinnamon and fresh coriander, and blend until smooth. Then mix in the sherry and stock.
4 Put the chicken back in the pan, pour the sauce over and bring slowly to the boil. Add the saffron, bouquet garni and a little salt. Simmer, uncovered, for 20–30 minutes, until the chicken is cooked. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more stock.
5 Beat together the cream and egg yolks, add a little of the sauce and mix together well, then stir this mixture into the sauce. Heat gently but do not let it boil.
6 Check the seasoning and adjust if necessary. Garnish with the sesame seeds, chopped almonds and some coriander, then serve.
This recipe calls for a lovely savoury rice dish as an accompaniment in order to soak up the sauce. A standard pilaff recipe with the addition of a little tarragon and freshly grated Parmesan works well.