Delicious UK - (08)August 2020

deliciousmagazine.co.uk 83

make it special.

IfI saidthatwhenmybookSummerCollectionwasfirst

publishedthisrecipewaspopular,thatwouldbea major

understatement.Itsomehowseemedtohitthespot.Simple

tomake,lotsofgutsyflavoursand,becauseofthat,greatfor

servingoutside.Butitsoverridingappealwasthatitneededno

accompaniments.Alltheingredientstogetherinonepot,cooked

onthehobortuckedawayintheoven,notevenneeding a peep.

Andthat,ifI maysay,ispreciselywhat’sneeded.

Ifyouwanttosharea simplesupperwithfamilyorfriends

withoutleavingthemormissingoutonconversationbecause

thefoodisconstantlyrequiringyourattention,thissortofrecipeleavesyoufreeto

relax.Mywholephilosophyhasalwaysbeenaboutpeoplebeingmoreimportantthan

food.Youmaywanttoservea saladofdressedleavesalongside...Wehave,butdecided

it didn’t need it. However, a good red rioja would be a splendid accompaniment.

NEXT
MONTH
Oven-baked
wildmushroom
PHOTOGRAPH: risotto

MICHAEL

PAUL

FOOD

PHOTOGRAPHY.

PORTRAIT:

TREVOR

LEIGHTON

Chicken Basque

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

• 1 x 1.75kgchicken, jointed into
  8 pieces


• Brownbasmatiricemeasured to
  the225mllevelin a glass
  measuringjug


• 275mlchickenstock(orstock
  madefromMarigold vegetable
  bouillonpowder)


• 170mldrywhitewine


• ½largeorange,cutintowedges


• 1 levelteaspoon chopped fresh
  thyme


• 50gblackolives (pitted if you
  prefer)


• Saltandfreshly milled black
  pepper


• 2 largeredpeppers


• 1 verylargeor2 mediumonions


• 2-3tablespoons extra virgin
  oliveoil


• 150gchorizosausage,skinned
  andcutinto1cmslices


• 50gsun-driedtomatoesinoil


• 2 largeclovesgarlic,chopped


• 1 leveltablespoon sun-dried
  tomatopaste


• ½ level teaspoon hot paprika

EQUIPMENT

• Youwillalsoneeda wide,shallow,
  flameproofcasserolewitha
  domedlid,measuringabout
  24 cm at the base; or, failing that,

anywideflameproof casserole of

4.5 litre capacity

METHOD

Startbyseasoningthechicken

joints well with salt and pepper.

Next,slicetheredpeppersinhalf

andremovetheseedsandpith,then

sliceeachhalfintosixstrips.

Likewise,peeltheonionandslice

intostripsofapproximatelythesame

size.Thedriedtomatoesshouldbe

drained,wipeddrywithkitchen

paper and then cut into 1cm pieces.

Nowheat2 tablespoonsoliveoilin

thecasseroleand,whenit isfairly

hot,addthechickenpieces– twoor

threeata time– andbrownthemto

a nuttygoldencolouronbothsides.

Astheybrown,removethemtoa

platelinedwithkitchen paper using

a draining spoon.

Nextadda littlemoreoiltothe

casserolewiththeheatslightly

higherthanmedium.Assoonasthe

oilishot,addtheonionandpeppers

andallowthemtobrowna littleat

theedges,movingthemaroundfrom

time to time, for about 5 minutes.

Afterthat,addthechorizo,sun-

driedtomatoesandgarlicandtoss

thesearoundfora minuteortwo

until the garlic is pale golden and

thechorizohastakenonsome

colour.Next,stirinthericeand,

whenthegrainshavea goodcoating

ofoil,addthesun-driedtomato

paste, paprika and chopped thyme.

Pourinthestockandwine,andadd

someseasoning.Assoonas

everythinghasreachedsimmering

point,turntheheatdowntoa gentle

simmer.Adda littlemoreseasoning,

thenplacethechickengentlyontop

ofeverything(it’simportantto keep

the rice down in the liquid).

Finally,placethewedgesoforange

inamongthechicken and scatter

with the olives.

Coverwitha tight-fittinglidand

cookoverthegentlestpossibleheat

forabout 50 minutesto1 houror

untilthericeiscooked but still

retains a little bite.

Alternatively,cookina preheated

oven at gas mark 4 (180°C) for 1 hour.

ThisrecipeistakenfromDelia

Smith’sSummerCollection,©Delia

Smith1993,publishedbyBBCBooks.

FormoreDeliarecipes,cookery

schoolvideos,informationon

bakewareandingredients go to

deliaonline.com