Chicken in Pepitoria Sauce

Tender chicken pieces falling off the bone, bound in a velvety almond and saffron sauce. The texture is thick and smooth, with a golden hue from the egg yolks.

• Prep time: 20 min
• Cook time: 45 min
• Difficulty: Medium
• Calories: 1012
• Protein: 77 g
• Carbs: 13 g
• Fat: 62 g

Ingredients

• 1 piece Chicken thigh ( cut into pieces )
• 1 piece Onion ( finely sliced )
• 2 piece Garlic ( minced )
• 50 g Almond with skin ( toasted )
• 2 piece Hard-boiled egg ( yolks only )
• 150 ml Dry white wine
• 20 g Wheat flour
• 30 g Traditional French bread ( fried or toasted )
• 4 tbsp Extra virgin olive oil
• 1 pinch Saffron
• 1 pinch Gray sea salt
• 1 pinch Black pepper ground
• 500 ml Chicken broth

Instructions

1. Sear the chicken

   In a pan with olive oil, brown the chicken pieces on all sides. The skin must be well-colored and crispy. Remove and set aside.

2. Sweat the aromatics

   In the same oil, sauté the sliced onion and garlic until translucent. Dust with flour and stir for one minute to cook the starch.

3. Prepare the thickening paste (Majada)

   Toast the almonds and bread in a dry pan. Grind them in a mortar with the hard-boiled egg yolks and saffron to obtain a thick, homogeneous paste.

4. Deglaze and simmer

   Return the chicken to the pan. Deglaze with dry white wine, scraping the bits. Add chicken stock to cover. Cover and simmer over low heat.

5. Bind the sauce

   Stir the majada (almond paste) into the sauce. Mix gently. Let it reduce for a few minutes without a rolling boil until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.

Chef's tips

• Do not boil the sauce once the egg yolks are added, or it might split.
• If you don't have a mortar, use a small blender for the majada, but keep some texture.
• The secret is to sear the chicken well at the start so the juices color the sauce.

Storage

Keep for 3 days in the fridge. Reheat gently over very low heat with a splash of water if the sauce has thickened too much.