Spanish Braised Chicken with Sherry and Saffron

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Any dry sherry such as fino or Manzanilla will work in this dish. Serve with crusty bread.

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Ingredients

  • 8 (5- to 7-ounce) chicken thighs
  • 1 Tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
  • 1 onion, chopped fine
  • 3 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 bay leaf1/4 tespoon ground cinnamon
  • 2/3 cup dry sherry
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • 1 (14.5-ounce) whole, peeled tomatoes, drained and chopped fine
  • 2 hard-cooked large eggs peeled and separated
  • 1/2 cup slivered, blanched almonds, toasted
  • pinch of saffron threads, crumbled
  • 2 Tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
  • 1 1/2 teaspoons lemon juice

Preparation

Step 1

1. Adjust the oven rack to the middle position and heat the oven to 300 degrees.

2. Pat the thighs dry with paper towels and season both sides of each with 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch skillet over high heat until just smoking. Add the thighs and brown on both sides, 10 to 12 minutes. Transfer the thighs to a plate and pour off all but 2 teaspoons fat from the skillet.

3. Return the skillet to medium heat, add the onion and 1/4 teaspoon salt, and cook, stirring frequently, until just softened, about 3 minutes. Add 2 teaspoons garlic, bay leaf and cinnamon and cook until fragrant. Add the sherry and cook, scraping up any browned bits, until the sherry starts to thicken, about 2 minutes. Stir in the broth and tomatoes and bring to a simmer. Return the thighs to the skillet, cover, transfer to the oven, and cook until the chicken registers 195 degrees, 45 to 50 minutes. Transfer the thighs to a serving platter, remove and discard the skin, and cover loosely with foil to keep warm. While the thighs cook, finely chop the egg whites.

4. Discard the bay leaf. Transfer 3/4 cup of the chicken cooking liquid, egg yolks, almonds, saffron and remaining garlic to blender jar. Process until smooth, about 2 minutes, scraping down the jar as needed. Return the almond mixture to the skillet. Add 1 Tablespoon parsley and lemon juice; bring to a simmer over medium heat. Simmer, whisking frequently until thickened, 3 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. Pour the sauce over the chicken, sprinkle with the remaining 1 Tablespoon parsley and egg whites, and serve.

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