Capsicums – How I use them:
I think some of the best capsicum users in the world are Spanish and this recipe is from the north of the country. This recipe has been adapted from a lovely book by Elisabeth Luard called the Food of Spain and Portugal and is always a big hit with all my family. In Spanish it is called: pollo chilindron and in English; spiced chicken with capsicum.
Spiced Chicken with Capsicum
- 1 smallish chicken (about 1.2kg is ideal) cut into serving
pieces with fat removed - 5 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 rashers very lean bacon, or 2 tablespoons leg ham on the
bone (or serrano ham if you have it) chopped - 1 large onion sliced
- 4 cloves garlic peeled and thinly sliced
- 3 red capsicums sliced
- 500g tomatoes chopped (skin them if you can be bothered), or
the equivalent of tinned tomatoes. - 2 bay leaves
- 3 cloves
- 1 stick of cinnamon
- 2 medium heat chillies finely chopped
Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or frypan and fry the chicken in it until lightly browned. Remove the chicken and set aside. Add the chopped bacon/ham, onions, capsicums, chilli and garlic. Sauté until the vegetables have softened. Add the tomatoes, bay leaves, cloves and cinnamon, stir until the tomatoes just start to break down (a minute
or 2) and then reintroduce the chicken. Cover and simmer until the chicken has cooked through and the sauce has thickened nicely (about 45 mins). Serve either hot or at room temperature with lots of crusty bread.
