Basque Chicken

August is proving to be hotter than July and I am wishing that I had an outside kitchen like all sensible Spanish people do.  Even though my indoor one is in the shade in the afternoons, the tiles on the roof ensure that it is like a big oven!  And I have 7 people to cook for tonight.  Never mind, a swim and a glass of tinto verano (summer wine a little like sangria) at the end of it is keeping me going.

I am starting with classic caesar salad or home made hummus and am making a typically spanish chicken summer casserole to follow – Basque Chicken – it is surprisingly light and if you omit the chorizo, quite low in calories.

Here’s how to make it for four people.

1 chicken – whatever size you like (a large one would do for 6)

1 large spanish onion

2 red peppers

A handleful of sundried tomatoes drained

2 or 3 garlic cloves

A decent sized chorizo sausage either cooked or uncooked, whatever you can get skinned and sliced into pieces

Brown rice, a couple of cups will do and makes a nice natural thickener for the sauce

A generous half pint of chicken stock – by that I mean nearer a pint – I like plenty of juice!

A great big glass or two of white wine – we can get it in cartons here for twopence halfpenny, but plonk will do as long as it is dry

A blob of tomato puree

Half a teaspoon of paprika picante not dulce- I use one to make it spicier

A cup of black pitted olives

A large orange cut into eighths

Salt and pepper

A scattering of herbs – any fresh will do

Cut the chicken into 8 or 10 pieces depending on the size of it and season well.

Slice the peppers and onions, they don’t need to be fine

Brown the chicken in a little olive oil until brown and then drain them on kitchen paper. Then add a little more oil  and cook the onions and peppers for a couple of minutes.  Then add the chorizo, garlic and and sun dried tomatoes.  Give it all a good stir before adding the rice.  Add the stock, wine, tomato puree and paprika and bring it all up to a simmer.  Sprinkle on the herbs, olives and orange pieces and cover with a lid and cook very gently for around an hour, a little more won’t hurt.  Then just taste and add more seasoning and dish up with some lovely crusty bread and a glass of rioja.

Mine is simmering away so I have an hour to myself – hurrah!