This Smoky Chicken and Chorizo Stew was inspired by the Hungarina dish chicken paprikash. Like many of us, when I was in my twenties I began experimenting in the kitchen, cooking dishes that were new and different from what my mother and my grandmothers had served. Chicken paprikash was one of those dishes. A guy that I worked with at Legent would rave about his wife’s chicken paprikash, and his wife finally shared her recipe with me. I tried it a few times before deciding that it was bland and uninteresting. I moved on.
Well, this Smoky Chicken and Chorizo Stew is anything but bland and uninteresting. It’s perfect for an afternoon when there’s snow outside and you want something warming that feels special, but you don’t want to take all afternoon to pull it together. This stew is meaty and complex; it’s spicy, and smoky, and laced with yogurt – just creamy enough to feel comforting, but not so creamy that you have any remorse. Far from it. Serve this Smoky Chicken and Chorizo Stew with a hunk of fresh sourdough bread and a crunchy green salad, and you’ll feel comfort and joy. As you should. This recipe is a keeper.
Chicken and Chorizo Stew
Equipment
- 12 to 14-inch skillet with a lid
Ingredients
- 1 red onion
- 2 red, yellow, or orange bell peppers
- 3 cloves garlic
- fresh parsley, for garnish
- 12 ounces Spanish chorizo
- 2 chicken breasts (approximately 18-24 ounces total)
- salt and pepper, for seasoning the chicken
- 2 T tomato paste
- 2 T King Arthur Gluten Free Measure for Measure Flour blend
- ¼ cup sweet Hungarian paprika
- 1 T smoked paprika
- 1 t dark chile powder
- 1 t thyme
- 1 quart tomatoes, canned in their own juices (or one 15.5 ounces can of diced tomatoes)
- 1 long pimento pepper packed in vinegar
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1 t sugar
- ⅔ cup whole fat plain yogurt
Instructions
- Prep the veg – Peel the onion and cut it in half, across the equator. Slice the onion into strips, slicing from the root end to the cut end. Destem and deseed the bell peppers, then cut them into 2-inch strips. Mince the garlic. Remove the seeds and ribs from the pimento pepper, and dice the flesh. Remove the parsley leaves from the stem and roughly chop the leaves. Mince the stems.
- Sauté the chorizo – Remove the casings from the chorizo and crumble the meat into the skillet. Sauté the chorizo sausage for a few minutes to release its oils. Transfer the chorizo to a large plate and set aside.
- Prep the chicken – Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces, then season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Add the chicken to the skillet and cook until it's no longer pink. Add the chicken to the plate with the chorizo.
- Begin the sauce – Add the red onion and bell pepper slices, and cook on a medium heat until they are very soft. Stir in the garlic and tomato paste, then sprinkle in the flour and cook for another few minutes. Add the paprika(s), chile powder, thyme, tomatoes, pickled pepper, sugar, and chicken broth. Bring to a simmer.
- Finish and serve – Add the chorizo and chicken back to the skillet, and continue simmering, uncovered, for about 15 minutes. Garnish with chopped parsley and serve with a bowl of creamy, cooling yogurt at the table.
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