Cazuela de Pollo y Chorizo

chicken and chorizo casserole

I had some leftover roast chicken and combined it with other ingredients languishing in the fridge to produce a warming chicken and chorizo casserole – something to ward off the autumn cold. I cooked this in a Spanish terracotta cazuela with lid, but a cast iron casserole would work equally well.

Cazuela de Pollo y Chorizo receta (serves 3):

1lb leftover roast chicken (chopped)
1/2 hot chorizo ring (chopped)
1 large onion (chopped)
6 pieces garlic (finely chopped)
1 large carrot (chopped)
1 stick of celery (chopped)
1 small red pepper (chopped)
1 small yellow pepper (chopped)
4 medium ripe tomatoes (grated)
a small bunch of parsley (finely chopped)
1/2 teaspoon Pimentón de la Vera picante (hot)
1/2 teaspoon Pimentón de la vera dulce (sweet/mild)
1/4 pint chicken stock
a splash sherry vinegar
2 bay leaves
a pinch of crushed chilli
a dessertspoon tomato purée
a squirt anchovy paste
a generous slug of extra virgin olive oil for frying

First brown the chorizo in a little olive oil and remove to a plate. Using the same oil, caramelise the onion on a low flame – keep stirring so it doesn’t burn. These first two steps will create considerable depth of flavour in the dish.

perejil

When the onion is nice and soft, add the celery, carrot and garlic. Give these a few minutes of cooking before mixing in the chopped peppers. Cut the tomatoes in half and grate the wet side into the cazuela – you should end up with a disk of tomato skin in your hand which can be discarded or used in stock. The chicken can go in now too and sprinkle the chopped parsley on top.

pimentón

Stir in the pimentón de la Vera and add all the remaining ingredients. The pimentón will give the casserole a vibrant red colour.

casseroled

Put the lid on and place the cazuela in a preheated oven at 160ºC for an hour.

cazuela de pollo y chorizo

When the hour is up, check the seasoning and remove the lid before returning the cazuela to the oven for about 20 minutes. This will thicken up the casserole and create a slightly sticky layer on top.

Serve with mashed potatoes and a glass or two of Era Costana, Rioja Crianza (a Spanish red).