Today’s dish was inspired by One Pot Spanish Chicken and Potatoes from Pinch of Yum. It was one of those recipes that we made, and EVERYONE loved. And every time we’ve made it since, it becomes more and more popular.
It’s a rather simple dish, and so full of flavor. And did we say it was really easy to make? Because it is! You don’t have to be a whiz in the kitchen to make this, we promise. YOU CAN DO THIS!
For really developed flavors, make the sauce part of the dish first, and the following evening make the chicken and potatoes portion.
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2-3 tbsp olive oil (more if needed)
- 1 large sliced yellow onion
- 4-6 tbsp garlic (or 3 elephant garlic gloves) we love garlic too much
- 5 vine-ripe tomatos, cut in half and roasted
- 1 medium to large eggplant or as we prefer Aubergine (skin peeled and diced)
- Season salt (We use Lawry’s) and pepper to taste
- Smoked paprika
- Onion powder
- Garlic powder
- Cayenne pepper
- Approx. 1 cup chicken stock
For the chicken and friends:
- 1½ lbs. chicken breast meat
- Salt and Pepper
- 1 large Russet potato, sliced
- crusty bread or rice for serving
Step 1:
Heat the oven to 400°F. Slice tomatoes in half and toss with some olive oil, enough to coat them, and some salt and pepper. Put tomatoes on a cookie sheet and let it roast in the oven for 40 minutes.
Step 2:
Sauté onion and garlic for about 5 minutes, then add in the eggplant. Continue to sauté until eggplant is melding (getting soft sounds…awkward).
Step 3:
When the tomatoes are done, CAREFULLY move them into the pot open face down or butt side up, however you want to look at it. Let them simmer together for 5 minutes.
Step 4:
Break up the tomatoes and give it a good mix together. Transfer in batches to a blender, please don’t put it all together, you will have a hot explosion of (painfully hot) goodness, and as wonderful as that sounds…it’s not. Add in chicken stock while blending to get your desired consistancy. Add salt and pepper, paprika, onion and garlic powder, cayenne pepper. We like to start with a few shakes of each and adjust to your own liking. This it the point in the cooking where we put the spices into small prep bowls and pretend we’re Emeril, BAM!
Step 5 (optional):
After the sauce has cooled put it into tupperware, and let it get busy with itself overnight. I personally think this sauce is best the next day. But if you need it like RIGHT NOW, please go on to the next step immediately.
Step 6:
Slice the potatoes into discs, I used a mandolin to make sure they were all the same thickness. You can parboil the potatoes for a few minutes if you want, or just put them into the sauce a few minutes before the chicken. (If you gave your sauce “a break” overnight: heat it up in a separate pot first).
Step 7:
Slice your chicken into chunks or bite size pieces. Toss with 1 to 2 tablespoons of the oil of your choosing. We’re fans of olive oil and coconut oil. Once chicken is coated in oil season with salt, pepper and paprika. Remember, you don’t have to use those, those are just what we chose for this dish.
Step 8:
Place frying pan on the stove, and turn the heat to medium high. When the pan is hot, put the chicken in and brown. Once the chicken is brown, transfer to the pot with the sauce. You can also sauté the potatoes in the same pan as the chicken and add them to the pot with the sauce.
Step 9:
Cover the sauce, and simmer until the chicken is cooked. About 10 minutes. Serve over quinoa, rice or serve with a bread to sop up all the saucy goodness. Enjoy!
What’s really great about this dish is how versatile it is. All you do is change out the paprika for any other spice you like, like curry, tikka masala, Garam masala, and you get the idea.
You can also add other kinds of vegetables towards the end of the cooking process. more onions, bell peppers, peas, and you get the idea!
Happy Cooking!
Cultured Swines 