CHICKEN WITH CHORIZO
A braised chicken recipe inspired from the cuisine found in French towns along the Spanish border. 
This recipe takes inspiration from the cuisine found in French towns along the Spanish border, where Spanish flavors have influenced the local cuisine. Classic ingredients like onions, garlic, bay leaves and tomatoes are paired with the smoky, spicy flavors of paprika and chorizo for a delicious combination that will take your taste buds to Basque country. The chicken is seared to golden perfection, then pot roasted with the aromatic sauce until it becomes juicy and tender. It’s a must to serve this dish with rice to soak up every morsal of flavor.
INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
1 whole chicken cut into thighs, legs, and breast (or 4 to 6 chicken thighs)
Salt and pepper to season
2 tbsp plain flour
1 tbsp smoked paprika
2 tbsp of olive oil, plus 1 extra tbsp to cook the onion
2 medium size onion, finely diced
150 g mild or spicy chorizo sausage, sliced
4-6 cloves garlic, sliced
2 bay leaves
1 x 400 ml tin whole peeled tomatoes
80 ml (2.7 fl oz) medium dry Madeira wine
Rice, to serve
MISE EN PLACE
Preheat the oven to 190°C / 375°F (fan forced).
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Mix the flour and smoked paprika together in a tray and coat each chicken piece lightly in the flour mix.
Method
Heat the oil in a Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chicken pieces and sear until evenly browned on each side (about 3-5 minutes per side). Transfer the chicken to a plate. Reserve the chicken breasts separately on a plate and cover with foil for now (If using)
In the same pot, add the chopped onion with a tablespoon of oil and cook over low-medium heat for at least 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Pour in half of the Madeira wine and use a wooden spoon to scrape the browned bits off the bottom of the pot to blend with the onions. Add the sliced garlic, bay leaves, and chorizo and cook for a further 10 minutes, stirring regularly.
Reduce the heat to low and add the diced tomatoes. Stir in the remainder of the Madeira wine to take the acidity off the tomatoes. Cook for a minute or so before adding all the chicken pieces, except for the breasts. Stir to coat the chicken in the sauce and add up to half a glass of water about 50 ml if the sauce is on the dry side.
Cover the pot and cook in the preheated oven for 30 minutes. Then, add the chicken breasts and turn them in the sauce to coat. Cook for a further 15 minutes, covered.
Serve the chicken divided on plates with spoonfuls of the sauce and rice on the side.
TIP
You can replace the Madeira wine with Sherry or port wine
Plain rice is great with this dish but French-style pilaf rice will take it to the next level