Chicken, chorizo, olive and chickpea stew

This chicken stew, inspired by Spanish cuisine and featuring chorizo, olives, and chickpeas, is bursting with flavour! Pair it with couscous or rice and some crusty bread to soak up the tasty sauce.

Image from Pinterest

I've discovered chicken thighs as my new favourite ingredient. They're significantly cheaper than chicken breasts and offer more flavour and tenderness.

They truly excel in this Spanish-inspired stew with chicken, chorizo, olives, and chickpeas, which you should prepare as soon as possible! Pair it with rice or couscous to absorb the delightful sauce.

I also enjoy cooking with chorizo, an ingredient that enhances any dish, even when used sparingly.

Combine all the spices and dried herbs in a small bowl. Season the chicken on both sides with half of the mixture.

Remove the casing from the chorizo and dice it. Heat a large casserole dish with a lid and add olive oil. Add the chorizo and cook over medium-high heat until it starts releasing its spicy oil.

Place the chicken, skin side down, and cook until it's nicely browned on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to flip it over and cook the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

Pour a splash of sherry (or white wine or water) to deglaze the pan and scrape up any browned bits. Add the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix and cook for another 2 minutes.

Mix in the chickpeas and tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato tin with water and add it to the pan. Add the crumbled stock cube and honey, stir everything together, and bring to a simmer. Return the chicken to the pan, cover, and simmer for about 30 minutes.

Stir in the olives and cook, uncovered, for an additional 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and the liquid is reduced.

Taste and adjust with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with dried chilli flakes and fresh thyme, and serve with steamed brown rice or couscous.

Photo from Pinterest

Prep Time: 10minutes minutes

Cook Time: 50minutes minutes

Total Time: 1hour hour

Servings: 6 servings

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp olive oil

• 100 g (3 ½ oz) chorizo diced

• 6 chicken breasts or 8 chicken thighs (skin on)

• 1 large onion peeled and roughly chopped

• 2 garlic cloves minced

• splash sherry white wine or water to deglaze the pan

• 1 tsp dried thyme

• 1 tsp dried oregano

• 1 tsp onion granules

• 1 tsp sweet paprika

• ½ tsp ground cumin

• ¼ chilli powder

• 400 g (14oz) chickpeas drained and rinsed

• 400 g (14oz) tomatoes finely chopped or fire roasted

• water see recipe

• 1 chicken stock cube crumbled

• 1-2 tbsp honey

• 20 green pitted olives

• salt and freshly ground pepper

• 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes to serve

Instructions

1. Mix all the spices and dried herbs together in a small bowl. Season the chicken on both sides with half the mix.

2. Peel the casing off the chorizo and cut into small cubes.

3. Heat a large lidded casserole dish and add the olive oil. Throw in the chorizo and cook over medium-high heat until it starts releasing some of its spicy oil.

4. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook until nicely browned on one side, about 2-3 minutes. Use tongs to flip over and cook the other side. Remove the chicken from the pan and set aside.

5. Add a splash of sherry (or white wine or just water) to deglaze the pan and scrape any browned bits of chicken.

6. Add the onion and garlic over medium-low heat for 2 minutes. Sprinkle the remaining spice mix and cook for a further 2 minutes.

7. Stir in the chickpeas and tomatoes. Fill the empty tomato tin with water and add to the pan.

8. Add the crumbled stock cube and honey, stir everything together and bring to a simmer.

9. Return the chicken to the pan, cover and simmer for about 30 minutes.

10. Stir in the olives and cook, uncovered, for a further 5-10 minutes or until the chicken is fully cooked and liquid is reduced.

11. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle with the dried chilli flakes and fresh thyme and serve with steamed brown rice or couscous.

fresh thyme to garnish to serve

We recommend pairing this dish with -

LO STESSO FIANO

A blend of 50% estate grown fruit and 50% purchased regional fruit, fermented in a combination of new French oak and stainless steel. Pale yellow colour. Subtle fruit aromas and a palate of pear, citrus and honey, finishing with waxy hazelnut and spice. Over time this luscious wine develops quince and baked apple flavours with enough natural acid to balance the viscous, textured mouthfeel.

FAMILIA LARCHAGO TEMPRANILLO

Intense cherry colour, with violet edging that expresses youth. Aroma varietal, powerful, expressive, fresh and complex, in combination and balance with spicy aromas ceded by the oak. Complex, fruity, tasty.