Chorizo and Brandy Chicken
1 hour
Serves 4
French
Main
I came across this wonderful fusion of spanish and french cookery when i worked for a week at a friends restaurant to help out. The wonderful sauce has a depth to it that is perfectly cut through by the slightly spicy chorizo. Add in the creamy melted cheese and you have a perfectly balanced dish that is wonderful with rice, jacket potatoes or other tapas dishes.
ingridients
For The Chicken
500g skinless chicken breast
2 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 pints chicken stock
1 onion, peeled and quartered
2 cloves
1 large carrot, halved
1 celery stick, halved
2 bay leaves
2 sprigs fresh thyme, stripped
1 tsp smoked paprika
4 cloves of garlic
For The Sauce
1 Tbsp plain flour
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
4 Tbsp brandy
110g chorizo, chopped
110g grated manchego cheese
Method
Heat oven to 180°c (Gas 4)
Heat the oil in a thick-bottomed frying pan over a medium heat. Cook the chicken for 5 minutes or until browned.
In a different pan, bring the stock to a low boil
Stud one of the onion quarters with the cloves and add to the stock with the chicken, carrot, celery, bay leaves, thyme, paprika and garlic.
Simmer the pan very gently for 30-40 minutes until the chicken just starts to fall apart.
Remove the chicken from the pan and place in a roasting tin.
Strain the stock into a bowl through a sieve and set it aside.
Put the strained stock in a clean pan over medium-low heat and bring to a low boil until reduced by half
Mix the flour and butter together in a bowl to form a paste. Slowly whisk the paste into the stock, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. When the stock has thickened, add the brandy and allow to simmer for 3-4 minutes to cook off the alcohol
Add the chorizo to the sauce and season to taste
Put the chicken in a roasting tin. Pour the sauce on top and sprinkle over the cheese. Put in the oven and bake for 10 minutes until the cheese has begun to go golden brown and the chicken has warmed through