There’s a delicious heat in this rich and comforting dish. Ideal for rustling up on a winter’s night, who doesn’t love a one-pot wonder?

This recipe is from Avoca’s new cookbook Avoca at Home, €27.95, Penguin Sandycove Hardback

Ingredients (Serves 4):
8 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on

100g dry-cured chorizo, diced

1 onion, chopped

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

2 celery stalks, diced

3 large garlic cloves, crushed

1 bay leaf

1½ tbsp smoked paprika

1 tbsp chopped fresh oregano

(or 1 tsp dried oregano)

1 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 tsp ground cumin

½ tsp chopped fresh thyme

¼ to ½ tsp chilli flakes, depending on how spicy you like your food

a pinch of saffron

200ml white wine

1 x 700g jar of tomato passata

1 x 400g tin of cannellini beans, drained and rinsed

80g black Kalamata olives, pitted and halved

1 tbsp chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

fine sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Method:

 

  • Trim off any excess skin from the chicken thighs and put a wide, shallow, heavy-based casserole dish over a medium-high heat without any oil.
  • When the pan is nice and hot, reduce the heat to medium and add the chicken thighs, skin side down, to render out the fat.
  • Cook for 5 minutes without moving them around, then flip them over and cook for 5 minutes on the other side too, until nicely browned.
  • Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
  • Add the chorizo and cook for 5 minutes, until it has released its oil into the pan and crisped up a bit. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the chorizo to the plate with the chicken.
  • Pour off all the oil that has been released from the chicken and chorizo, as there will be a lot of fat in the pan now, then add 1 or 2 tablespoons back in.
  • Preheat the oven to 180°C.
  • Add the onion, carrots and celery and season with salt and pepper.
  • Cook for about 10 minutes, until softened.
  • Add the garlic, bay leaf, smoked paprika, oregano, rosemary, cumin, thyme, chilli flakes and saffron and cook for 1 or 2 minutes more, just until fragrant.
  • Pour in the wine and let it bubble up for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring to deglaze the pan, then stir in the passata and add the browned chicken thighs and chorizo back in.
  • Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the casserole dish and transfer to the oven for 25 to 30 minutes, until the chicken is fully cooked.
  • Near the end of the cooking time, stir in the cannellini beans and olives to warm them through.
  • Taste and adjust the seasoning, then scatter over the chopped parsley.
  • Serve straight to the table.