Catalan Chicken Stew with Almond Picada Sauce

Votes: 3

Time: 1 hour 10 min.
Complexity: easily
Servings: 4

Catalan chicken stew with almond picada sauce - detailed recipe.

The recipes use measuring containers with the following volumes:
1 glass (st.) - 250 ml.
3/4 cup (st.) - 180 ml.
2/3 cup (st.) - 160 ml.
1/2 cup (st.) - 125 ml.
1/3 cup (st.) - 80 ml.
1/4 cup (st.) - 60 ml.
1 tablespoon (tbsp) - 15 ml.
1 teaspoon (tsp) - 5 ml.
1/5 teaspoon (tsp) - 1 ml.

Ingredients for the recipe:

Stew:

3-4 cups boiled chicken breasts, sliced along the grain (see recipe below)
4 cups chicken broth
1 can (900 g) peeled tomatoes, canned whole
1 cup coarsely chopped green olives
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 - 3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme
2 heaping tablespoons of paprika
2-3 stalks of celery, peeled and chopped, with leaves on top
2 bay leaves
2 medium-sized carrots, chopped
2 medium-sized onions, chopped
1 chopped red bell pepper
1 finely chopped red chili pepper
A pinch of saffron stigmas
Salt and ground black pepper
Bread for serving

Boiled chicken breasts:

4 whole chicken breasts (white meat only) with bones and skin or 3 whole chickens at 4 pounds (1.8 kg) (white and dark meat)
1 tbsp. black peppercorns
8 crushed garlic cloves
4 large bay leaves
4 coarsely chopped carrots
4 coarsely chopped celery stalks
2 lemons, sliced
2 onions, cut into quarters
A bunch of fresh parsley, rosemary, and thyme, tied with kitchen string

Picada:

1/4 cup blanched almonds
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 slices (1 cm thick) of loaf or baguette (use the remaining bread for serving)
1/3 cup fresh parsley leaves
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 cloves of garlic, grated or finely chopped

Ingredient Substitution Suggestions

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Recipes with similar ingredients: chicken breasts, tomatoes, olive, chili pepper, lemon juice, carrot, celery, onions, garlic, bouquet garni, almond, baguette, thyme, paprika, bay leaf, saffron, black pepper, rosemary, parsley

Cooking the dish according to the recipe:

For the picada: Toast the nuts in a small frying pan and transfer them to a plate. Add olive oil to the pan and toast the bread pieces in it until golden brown.

Slice the bread and place it in a food processor with parsley, lemon juice, garlic, toasted almonds, and a little water. Pulse until the mixture reaches a pesto-like consistency. Refrigerate until serving.
For the stew: Heat olive oil in a Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Add thyme, paprika, celery, bay leaves, carrots, onion, bell pepper, chili pepper, and saffron, season with salt and pepper.

Sauté the vegetables until soft, 7-8 minutes. Add the tomatoes and mash them. Pour in the broth and simmer for 30 minutes. Add the chicken. Add the picada and olives, remove from heat, and let stand for 5 minutes.

Ladle the stew into shallow bowls and serve with warm bread to sop up the sauce.

Culinary advice: The ragù and picada sauce can be refrigerated in separate containers to serve as a base for this dish. Reheat the ragù over medium heat, adding the sauce and olives.

Boiled chicken breasts: Place the chicken in a very large saucepan or, if necessary, divide it between 2 saucepans. Add the black peppercorns, garlic, bay leaves, carrots, celery, lemons, onion, a bunch of herbs, and salt.

Pour in enough water to completely cover the chicken. Bring the water to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer for 1.5 hours. Remove the chicken from the broth and let it cool. Strain the broth. (You should have 5-6 liters of broth.) Remove the skin and bones from the chicken, shredding the meat with your hands or two forks.