Chicken Chilindron - Spanish Stew
Chilindron is a Spanish stew, and is one of my favorite dishes, so versatile that it stands outside the normal categories of chicken dishes. Chilindron is dominated by roasted red peppers, paprika and onions. Most recipes also call for rosemary, olive oil, garlic, some tomatoes, good stock and wine. Tomatoes, capsicums and chorizo characterize this stew originally, which hails from Aragon in northeastern Spain. This is also a winner made with lamb.
It is rich, woodsy, and bright, a perfect combination of the “red food” many of us crave (spaghetti sauce, chili, etc – think about the colors in your favorite foods and you’ll find many of them are reddish) with the slightly austere, piney flavors that mark European wild game cooking.
As for what meat to use, the Spanish stew typically features lamb or chicken. This hints at the range this stew possesses. I have made chilindron with good results from chicken, pheasant, rabbit, beef, venison and antelope, wild boar and pork. There is no reason you cannot toss in whatever you like. I suppose you could even make a vegetarian version with mushrooms. When switching from light to dark meat, switch from white to red wine, too. And here is the basic recipe.
Ingredients:
- 3 pounds chicken (or pheasant, lamb, venison or rabbit, in serving pieces)
- 2 large onions, sliced root to tip
- 10 cloves chopped garlic
- 2 tablespoons sweet paprika
- 1 tablespoon hot paprika
- 1 jar (15 ounces or so), or 5 roasted red sweet peppers, chopped
- 1 cup crushed tomatoes
- 2 cups red or white wine
- Stock if needed (whatever goes with your choice of meat)
- 1/2 cup diced cured meat: Bacon, pancetta, ham, etc.
- 1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary
- 4 bay leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped fresh parsley
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- Salt and pepper
- Large handful of dried mushrooms (optional)