You Have Searched Me, LORD

This is not paella and it doesn't taste like one too. Chicken Basque is a Mediterranean dish with strong Spanish influence. This recipe is from Delia Smith's Summer Collection, which is also one of her best selling cookbook after Winter Collection. Another famous recipe from the Summer Collection is my favourite appetizer Piedmont Roasted Red Peppers.

Delia's version of this dish was raved about, and drooled over in UK in the early 90s when this book was first published.  This is a fantastic dish, bursting with glorious Mediterranean flavours. Please do not be daunted by the long ingredients list. This dish is an easy one pot meal. It can also be assembled in advance.
Chorizo and smoked paprika are the key ingredients here that give this dish a distinctive flavour.

Chicken Basque
Delia Smith's Summer Collection
serves 4

Ingredients

1.75kg chicken, jointed into 8 pieces. (3 large chicken legs,chopped)
2 large red peppers
1 very large or 2 medium onions (1 large onion)
2-3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
150g chorizo sausage, skinned and cut into 1/2 inch slices (2 big chorizos)
50g sun-dried tomatoes in oil
2 large cloves garlic, chopped
1 level tablespoon sun-dried tomato paste (plain tomato paste)
1/2 level tsp paprika
brown basmati rice measured to the 225ml level in a glass measuring jug (white basmati)
275ml chicken stock
170ml dry white wine
1/2 large orange, cut into wedges (1 orange)
1 level tsp chopped fresh thyme
50g pitted black olives
salt and freshly milled black pepper


Method

• Start by seasoning the chicken joints well with salt and pepper. Next, slice the red peppers in half and remove the seeds and pith, then slice each half into six strips. 
• Likewise, peel the onion and slice into strips of approximately the same size. The dried tomatoes should be drained, wiped dry with kitchen paper and then cut into 1/2 inch pieces.
• Now heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in the casserole and, when it is fairly hot, add the chicken pieces - two or three at a time - and brown them to a nutty golden colour on both sides. As they brown remove them to a plate lined with kitchen paper, using a draining spoon.
• Next add a little more oil to the casserole, with the heat slightly higher than medium. As soon as the oil is hot, add the onion and peppers and allow them to brown a little at the edges, moving them around from time to time, for about 5 minutes.
• After that, add the chorizo, sun-dried tomatoes and garlic and toss these around for a minute or two until the garlic is pale golden and the chorizo has taken on some colour. Next, stir in the rice and, when the grains have a good coating of oil,add the sun-dried tomato paste, paprika and chopped thyme. Pour in the stock and wine, and add some seasoning. As soon as everything has reached simmering point, turn the heat down to a gentle simmer. Add a little more seasoning, then place the chicken gently on top of everything (it's important to keep the rice down in the liquid).

• Finally, place the wedges of orange in among the chicken and scatter with the olives. 
• Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook over the gentlest possible heat for about 50 minutes - 1 hour. (40 minutes) or until the rice is cooked but still retains a little bite. Alternatively cook in a pre-heated oven at 180C for 1 hour.

 

This post is linked to Cook like a Star "All Stars" organized by Zoe from Bake for Happy Kids,
Joyce from Kitchen Flavour and Mich from Piece of Cake.

This is also linked to Little Thumbs Up "Orange" hosted by Ann from Anncoo Journal, Zoe from
Bake for Happy Kids, and Doreen from My little favourite DIY.

    






 God is nowhere      God is no where?     God is Now here!


You have searched me, LORD, and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar, You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways, Before a word is on my tongue, you, Lord know it completely, You hem me in behind and before, and you lay your hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me too lofty for me to attain. Psalm 139:1-6