Andalusian style chicken with saffron and green olives
This chicken dish is a full on taste explosion. It’s subtly spicy, fragrant and infused with Spanish flavours. Make it in advance and it tastes even better.
Full of summery orange flavours it’s the perfect addition to any tapas buffet.
Serves: 4 as a sharing tapas plate
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Ingredients
large pinch of saffron
chicken stock cube, crumbled into 150ml boiling water
2 tbsp olive oil
½ Spanish onion, thinly sliced
2 garlic cloves, crushed
2 large chicken breasts, or 6 boneless, skinless thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
¼ tsp ground cinnamon
1 red chilli, deseeded and finely chopped
2 tbsp sherry vinegar, or dry white wine
1 tbsp orange zest, plus the juice of half an orange
6 cherry tomatoes, quartered
10 pitted green olives, coarsely chopped
Freshly ground black pepper
handful coriander, roughly chopped
25g toasted almonds
Method
Add the saffron to the hot stock to soak whilst you cook the chicken.
Heat the oil in a medium pan and cook the onion until it is soft and just beginning to turn golden. Stir in the garlic and then push to the side of the pan and add the chicken. Cook for a few minutes until the chicken is browned all over.
Add the cinnamon and chilli, and cook for a couple of minutes. Add the stock, vinegar, orange juice and zest, tomatoes and pitted olives. Bring to the boil, turn down the heat and simmer for 10 minutes until the sauce is reduced and the chicken is cooked through. Season to taste. When ready to serve, scatter with the coriander and nuts, and serve.