Catalan Style Chicken Or Turkey Food

CATALAN-STYLE CHICKEN (OR TURKEY)

Steps:

• Combine raisins, prunes and sherry in a bowl. Cover and leave at room temperature for 12 hours.
• Heat 2 1/2 tbsp olive oil in a wide skillet. Season the meat with salt and pepper. Brown the chicken (or turkey) on all sides until golden brown, about 10 minutes. Remove the meat to a plate and set aside.
• Add the onions and cook, stirring often, until soft and brown, about 15 minutes. Drain the sherry from the fruit; add the sherry to the pan and reserve the fruit for later.
• When the sherry has nearly evaporated, return the chicken to the pan and add the tomatoes and the water. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer, cover and cook 30 minutes.
• Add the reserved fruit, and simmer another hour until the meat is very tender and the sauce is thickened. (Cover if the sauce gets too thick.).
• Heat the remaining 1/2 tbsp of olive oil in a small skillet. When it shimmers, add the pine nuts and cook, stirring very frequently, until brown, less than 5 minutes. Immediately remove from the pan.
• Transfer the meat to a serving dish. Top with the onions, tomatoes and fruit, and sprinkle with pine nuts to serve.

SPANISH CHICKEN TRAYBAKE WITH CHORIZO & PEPPERS

Steps:

• Heat oven to 200C/180C fan/gas 6. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic and thyme leaves with a little seasoning and 2 tsp oil to make a paste. If you don't have a pestle and mortar, finely grate the garlic, then stir everything together.
• Rub the herb and garlic paste on the underside of the chicken to flavour it.
• Cut each of the pepper halves into 2 or 3 chunky strips, depending on their size. Pile into a large roasting tin with the chorizo and olives, toss with the remaining oil, then sit the chicken on top, skin-side up. Scatter over the tomatoes, spoon over the vinegar, season and tuck in the thyme sprigs.
• Roast for 1 hr until the chicken skin is crispy and the vegetables have softened. Serve with crusty bread, pasta or potatoes.