How to Make Chicken Estofado with Courgette Salad

Method

1. Peel, halve and slice the onion.
2. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a large, lidded oven-proof casserole/sauté pan over a medium heat. Add the sliced onions and cook over a low heat for about 5 minutes.
3. Remove the peppers from the jar, discard the liquid and cut them into strips, removing as many seeds as possible (don’t be too pedantic about this).
4. Slice the olives.
5. Cut each chicken thigh into about 4 pieces, place them in a bowl and toss over 30g of flour and paprika to coat the chicken.
6. Add the garlic to the casserole dish and sauté for a minute or two before adding the piquillo peppers and the tomato puree and cook for a further two minutes.
7. Add the chicken and stir to coat in the mixture before adding the wine.
8. Bring to a simmer and let the wine bubble for a minute to drive off the alcohol, then add the stock and a couple of sprigs of fresh oregano, or 1 tsp dried.
9. Turn the heat down to medium, cover with a lid and simmer gently for approximately 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through, then put the lid back on, add the olives and the drained beans and continue to simmer for 5-10 minutes, until the sauce has thickened a little.
10. As you cook, keep checking the chicken and turn off the heat once the sauce has thickened and the chicken is cooked. You can reheat for service.

To make the gremolata

1. Chop the parsley. Reserve 2 tbsp for the courgette salad listed below.
2. Zest half a lemon and divide the zest in half. You will use half the lemon zest in the courgette salad.
3. In a small bowl add the panko crumbs, lemon zest, chopped parsley, raw garlic and a little more fresh oregano if you have some, and season well with sea salt and pepper. Set aside.

To make the courgette salad

1. Using a peeler, peel ribbons off the courgette and place them into a bowl. Set aside.
2. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil, honey and lemon juice. Pour the dressing over the courgette ribbons lightly toss to evenly coat and leave to sit for about 20 minutes. Don’t dress the courgette salad any earlier or it will become soggy.
3. Finely chopped red chilli and add it to the salad.

To serve

1. Just before serving, finish the courgette salad, add the herbs and a small pinch of salt and mix again.
2. Lift the estofado into a clean service bowl and serve immediately. Serve in shallow bowls, top with the gremolata crumb and serve alongside the courgette salad.

‍