Pollo en pepitoria Recipe

Start by steeping the saffron: put it in a small bowl with 75ml of just-boiled water, stir, and set aside. In a broad, shallow casserole dish, heat 2 tbsp of the olive oil over medium heat. Cook the garlic until it turns pale gold, then add the blanched almonds and stale bread. Continue to fry, stirring often, until everything is golden brown. Transfer this mixture to a food processor, add the parsley, a pinch of salt and pepper, and pulse until it forms a coarse paste.

Add another 2 tbsp of oil to the same pan. Brown the chicken thighs all over, seasoning them as they cook, until the skin is nicely golden. Once browned, transfer the chicken to a bowl and set aside.

Drain off all but about 2 tbsp of the chicken fat from the pan. Add the chopped onion, carrot, and celery, and cook until they soften and turn golden. Pour in the dry sherry, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Stir in the chicken stock and the saffron with its soaking water, then bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer. Add the cinnamon stick, cloves, and bay leaves, then return the browned chicken and any accumulated juices to the pan. Season lightly, cover the pan, and cook gently for about 40 minutes, or until the chicken is tender.

Carefully transfer the cooked chicken to a bowl, leaving the sauce in the pan, and cover it loosely with foil to keep it warm. Separate the egg yolks from the whites, roughly chopping the whites for garnish later. In a small bowl, mash the egg yolks, then gradually whisk in a couple of tablespoons of the hot sauce from the pan to temper them. Bring the remaining sauce in the pan to a boil to reduce it slightly; you want it to be thick enough to just coat the chicken. Turn the heat down to low, remove the bay leaves and cinnamon stick, then stir in the tempered egg yolks. Cook for a few minutes, stirring constantly, until the sauce visibly thickens. Finally, stir in the almond-bread paste you prepared earlier; this will further thicken the sauce to a rich consistency. Return the chicken to the pan and heat for about 3 minutes, spooning the sauce over it to warm through. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed.

Just before serving, scatter the extra chopped parsley, almond pieces, and the chopped egg whites over the chicken. This dish is ready to serve straight from the pan, perhaps with a side of rice to soak up all the sauce.