Chicken Tapas with Romesco Sauce

50 mins

4 people

Prep Time

20 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

50 mins

This is a great chicken tapas dish for any dinner party.

The romesco sauce can be made in advance and the chicken thighs can be cooked very quickly in a hot frying pan, grill or barbecue and finished in the oven. You can serve it as an individual dish or as a platter for everyone to help themselves. This dish is also a very healthy option for a mid-week dinner when served with a side salad.

Ingredients
Method

12 free-range chicken thighs
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs of thyme
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
For the romesco sauce:
2 whole red peppers, core and seeds removed, cut into halves
2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 piece of stale bread, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
12 toasted marcona almonds
12 whole hazelnuts, skin off
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp of cumin seeds
½ tsp of smoked paprika dulce
Salt and pepper to taste

Pre-heat your oven grill. Place the peppers halves, skin side up on a tray, drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil and place under the grill, until the skins are completely black all round. Remove from the grill, cover with a kitchen cloth or aluminium foil and allow the cooked peppers to rest and steam for 10 minutes. After this time, you will be able to peel them very easily. Cut the peppers into long strips and chop them into small pieces.
To make the romesco sauce, heat gently in a small frying pan the cumin seeds to release their oil, it takes about one minute. Pound the seeds in a pestle and mortar, until you obtain a fine powder. In a food processor or blender, add the roasted peppers, tomatoes, bread, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, cumin, smoked paprika, the olive oil and sherry vinegar and blend lightly until you have a chunky paste with the consistency of a pesto. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Romesco sauce will taste better if you make it the day before for the flavours to blend.
For the chicken thighs, pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. On a plate, drizzle the chicken thighs with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a hot frying pan, brown the chicken thighs for 3 minutes on each side. Add the thyme and garlic and roast skin side down for 30 minutes.
Serve the roasted chicken thighs on a bed of romesco sauce, topped with some crushed almonds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Ingredients

12 free-range chicken thighs
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
3 sprigs of thyme
2 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
Sea salt and pepper to taste
For the romesco sauce:
2 whole red peppers, core and seeds removed, cut into halves
2 ripe tomatoes, roughly chopped
1 piece of stale bread, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
12 toasted marcona almonds
12 whole hazelnuts, skin off
6 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp of cumin seeds
½ tsp of smoked paprika dulce
Salt and pepper to taste

Method

Pre-heat your oven grill. Place the peppers halves, skin side up on a tray, drizzle with one tablespoon of the olive oil and place under the grill, until the skins are completely black all round. Remove from the grill, cover with a kitchen cloth or aluminium foil and allow the cooked peppers to rest and steam for 10 minutes. After this time, you will be able to peel them very easily. Cut the peppers into long strips and chop them into small pieces.
To make the romesco sauce, heat gently in a small frying pan the cumin seeds to release their oil, it takes about one minute. Pound the seeds in a pestle and mortar, until you obtain a fine powder. In a food processor or blender, add the roasted peppers, tomatoes, bread, garlic, almonds, hazelnuts, cumin, smoked paprika, the olive oil and sherry vinegar and blend lightly until you have a chunky paste with the consistency of a pesto. Season with salt and pepper and set aside. Romesco sauce will taste better if you make it the day before for the flavours to blend.
For the chicken thighs, pre-heat your oven to 200°C/400°F/Gas Mark 6. On a plate, drizzle the chicken thighs with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. In a hot frying pan, brown the chicken thighs for 3 minutes on each side. Add the thyme and garlic and roast skin side down for 30 minutes.
Serve the roasted chicken thighs on a bed of romesco sauce, topped with some crushed almonds and a drizzle of olive oil.

Add To Basket

El Angel Smoked Paprika Dulce Can
- Buy 3 save 5%
- Buy 6 save 10%
£2.00
Alvear Pedro Ximenez Vinegar 10 Year Old
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£5.75
Añana Salt Flakes
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£3.50
Heroina Extra Virgin Olive Oil
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£12.90

Chef's Profile

Javier De La Hormaza

Javier is a Basque born, trained chef and hospitality professional, owner of Basco Fine Foods, a Spanish food and drink importer based in Yorkshire. He regularly runs client food and drink events around the country and he is a course tutor at Hartingtons of Bakewell cookery school. Javier's passion lies on bringing quality Spanish ingredients and recipes to as many people as possible.

Twitter: @bascofinefoods
Instagram: @mrbasco