Spanish-Style Chicken and Sweet Pepper Stew

Another of my make it up as I go along recipes - it's really easy to make too as it's all cooked in the one pot. Lovely flavours of tomato and sweet peppers mixed with the smokiness and nice heat of Pimenton de la Vera (hot Spanish paprika) together with Chorizo was in a word, delicious!

Don't you just love the colours? This can easily be made vegetarian if you leave out the chicken (of course) and add more beans.

Yield: 2-3Author: Jan Bennett

Spanish-Style Chicken and Sweet Pepper Stew

This is really easy to make as it's all cooked in the one pot. Lovely flavours of tomato and sweet peppers mixed with the smokiness and nice heat of Pimenton de la Vera (hot Spanish paprika) together with Chorizo was in a word, delicious!

ingredients:

olive oil 

1/2 of a Chorizo ring - sliced then again to make half moons

2 nice fat skinless chicken fillets - sliced into thickish strips (or mini fillets)  

2 red onions - thinly sliced into rings

a mixture of red, yellow and green baby sweet peppers - thinly sliced into rings

1 courgette - sliced 

3 garlic cloves - finely chopped

a handful of baby plum tomatoes - halved 

1 tablespoon of tomato puree

500ml passata

just a pinch of Pimenton de la Vera (hot Smoked Spanish Paprika)

pinch of dried oregano

pinch of dried thyme

salt to taste - if needed

380g pack (230g drained weight of cannellini beans) - drained from their water

*a little freshly chopped flat leaf parsley to garnish

instructions

Prepare the peppers, onions, courgette and tomatoes and set aside.

Heat up a small glug of olive oil in a flameproof casserole - if you don't have one use a big frying pan and use kitchen foil for a lid.

Fry the sliced chorizo gently until it gives up it's orange oil.  Once it's nicely cooked and getting on for slightly crispy - remove and set aside.

No need to wash the pan - it's nice to use up that lovely tasty orange oil.

Add another small glug of oil (if you need to) and then throw in the peppers and onions.  Cook over a gentle heat stirring now and then taking care they don't burn.

We're looking to get them nice and soft - but not coloured.

When they are lovely and soft throw in the sliced courgette and chopped garlic, again stirring so nothing burns.  Pay attention now - if you burn garlic it will taste bitter!

Add in the sliced chicken fillets or mini fillets and just get them to start to cook.  Don't fuss about them being cooked through at this stage.

Stir in the tomato puree and cook for just 1 minute.  Now add the passata and the plum tomatoes along with the oregano, thyme and (at this stage) just a pinch of Pimenton.  

Pimenton de la Vera is very hot so please don't add more until you're sure - you can always add some at the end of cooking if you think it needs more.

Cook slightly covered for about 30 minutes over a low heat stirring now and then.

By this time the onions and peppers will be nice and soft and the chicken will be cooked though and piping hot - please check.

Gently stir in the drained cannellini beans and add back in the chorizo.  

Get it all piping hot, have a taste and season with salt and a little more Pimenton if you need to.

Serve straight away with nothing but nice, fresh crusty bread for dipping and mopping.  

You can sprinkle over a little chopped flat leaf parsley if you want to be all fancy and that. 

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