Basque Style Chicken with Chorizo and Olives

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Tender, melt in the mouth chicken, soft new potatoes, peppers, garlic, tomatoes and paprika, this Basque-style Chicken with Chorizo and Olives is bursting with goodness, texture and the magical flavours of the Mediterranean.

All cooked together in one pot, the flavours infuse and develop throughout the cooking process. Although this is a meal as it is, you might want to serve some fresh crusty bread or garlic bread on the side to soak up some of the incredible juices in the pan. A crispy green salad with a squeeze of lemon juice and a drizzle of olive oil is also a tasty accompaniment.

How to make Basque Style Chicken with Chorizo and Olives

Collect all your ingredients together:

• new potatoes, halved
• chorizo sausage, peeled (if necessary) and sliced
• chicken breasts or thighs, boneless. Either with or without skin. I prefer skinless.
• smoked paprika
• fine salt
• freshly ground black pepper
• olive oil
• peppers/capsicum – I like a mix of red, yellow and green, stem and seeds removed and sliced
• red onions, peeled and sliced
• garlic, peeled and crushed
• chilli flakes
• bay leaves
• sprigs of thyme
• dry white wine
• tomatoes peeled and chopped
• lemon zest
• black olives, ideally without stones
• chopped parsley or shredded fresh basil leaves
• lemon wedges

How to make this delicious chicken dinner:

1. First, halve the potatoes and place in a saucepan. Cover with cold water and season with salt. Bring to the boil and simmer for 10 minutes, or until just soft. Drain well.
2. Peel the chorizo, if necessary, and cut into thick slices. Heat a cast iron pan over a moderately hot temperature (you do not need to add any oil) and cook the chorizo on both sides, until lightly browned, caramelised and the fat has rendered out of the sausage. Take the chorizo out of the pan and set aside.
3. Whilst the chorizo cooks, put the chicken onto a plate or chopping board and sprinkle with half of the smoked paprika and salt and pepper. Use the back of a spoon to press into the chicken.
4. There should be around 1 tablespoon oil in the pan, if there is less, add some olive oil and then add the chicken, smoked paprika side down, and cook until lightly browned on the underside, around 3 minutes.
5. As the chicken cooks, press the remainder of the smoked paprika, salt and pepper into the top of the chicken.
6. Turn the chicken and cook until browned on the other side – this should also take around 3 minutes. Set aside with the chorizo.
7. Add more olive oil to the pan, if necessary.
8. As the chicken cooks, slice the peppers/capsicum and now add them to the pan. Cook over a moderately hot temperature until lightly caramelised, stirring from time to time. This will take around 5 minutes. Set aside with the chicken and chorizo.
9. Meanwhile, peel the onion and garlic and roughly chop. Blitz in the food processor until finely chopped. Alternatively, chop by hand.
10. Add to the pan with the bay leaves and thyme and, if necessary, any extra oil. Cook over a moderately hot temperature until lightly caramelised, stirring from time to time. This will take around 5 minutes.
11. As the onion cooks, skin the tomatoes. Place them in a jug or bowl and cover with boiling water. Leave for one minute and then drain.
12. Make a small slit in each tomato with a sharp knife and remove the tomato skins.
13. Blitz in a food processor until blended.
14. Add the cooked potatoes to the onions and stir to mix and heat through.
15. When hot, pour in the wine and cook for a few minutes to reduce by half.
16. Now pour in the blended tomatoes and bring to the boil. Take off the heat.
17. Sit the chicken on top of the potatoes and also add the peppers/capsicum and chorizo. Pour over any juices which have collected in the dish.
18. Cover and cook in the centre of a preheated oven for 25 minutes.
19. Take out of the oven. Grate over the lemon zest and add the olives to the pan. Put back in the oven, without a lid, for a further 5 minutes or until the chicken is cooked.
20. Sprinkle with chopped fresh herbs and serve, either as is with lemon wedges, or with a crispy, green salad and some fresh bread on the side to dip into the delicious juices.

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