One Pot Spanish Chicken and Potatoes
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup olive oil
- 3 cloves garlic
- 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 large yellow onion sliced (about 1 cup)
- 5 ripe tomatoes cut in half
- 1/2 of a large eggplant skin removed and diced (2-3 cups)
- 1 1/2 lbs. chicken breast meat
- 1 large russet potato sliced
- 1 teaspoon all purpose seasoning (i used poultry seasoning)
- 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
- crusty bread or rice for serving
- Carbohydrate 14.6060716669378 g
- Cholesterol 95.2543977 mg
- Fat 13.4496416022677 g
- Fiber 1.44861664460329 g
- Protein 35.6950365651272 g
- Saturated Fat 3.13665455988072 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (212g)
- Sodium 100.227407830291 mg
- Sugar 13.1574550223345 g
- Trans Fat 1.17949549933218 g
- Calories 327 calories
Step-by-step
- Sauce: Heat the olive oil in a large, deep skillet over medium high heat. Add the onions and garlic. Scoop the juices, seeds, and flesh out of the tomatoes into the pan. Add the eggplant pieces and simmer the mixture for 5 minutes or until everything is soupy-like and softened and very good smelling. Place the scooped out tomato halves over the sauce, open side down. Simmer for a few minutes until the tomatoes have steamed and softened. Break them up in the pan and simmer for another 5-10 minutes to get all the flavors real nice and yummy.
- Blend: Transfer to a blender or food processor, puree until mixture reaches your desired consistency, and stir in the salt. Taste and adjust to you liking.
- Chicken and Potatoes: In the same pan, add one more quick drizzle of olive oil and add the chicken and potato slices. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and seasoning. Saute for a few minutes on each side until they are browned.
- Finish: Add the sauce back to the pan, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken and potatoes are fully cooked. Top with fresh parsley and serve with crusty white bread or rice.
Swapping chicken breast for bone-in chicken thighs alters the dish entirely. Thigh meat yields more rendering fat, which enriches the tomato and eggplant sauce during the initial simmer. Lean breasts demand careful monitoring to prevent dryness, whereas thighs tolerate extended simmering.
Transforming Day-Two Portions
Reheating starch-heavy dishes requires specific moisture management. Stored airtight for up to 3 days at 3 to 4 degrees Celsius, potatoes absorb surrounding liquids as they cool. Add two tablespoons of water or chicken stock to the skillet before applying medium-low heat. Cover the pan with a tight-fitting lid to trap steam, which softens the chilled russet potatoes without dissolving them into mush. Fresh parsley applied after reheating restores bright aromatic top notes that degrade during initial storage.
- Crowded skillets cause steaming rather than browning. Maintain space between chicken pieces to ensure the essential Maillard reaction occurs on the meat surface.
- Blend the tomato and eggplant base while hot to emulsify the olive oil efficiently.
- Stir salt into the puree gradually rather than dumping it all at once.
