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Sofrito (braised chicken with fried potatoes)
Serves 6-8 Starters and mains
Ingredients
- 3tbsp vegetable oil, or more as needed
- 1.8kg skin-on chicken thighs and legs, patted dry
- 4 medium Yukon Gold potatoes (680g in total), peeled and cut into 5cm pieces
- 1 large onion, halved through the root and thinly sliced
- 2tsp sweet paprika
- 1tsp ground turmeric
- 1⁄4tsp ground cardamom
- 1⁄2tsp onion powder
- 1⁄2tsp garlic powder
- 360ml chicken stock
- 1 bay leaf
- Dutch oven or other large, heavy saucepan with lid
Method
Heat the oil in a large Dutch oven or other large, heavy saucepan with a lid set over a medium-high heat. Season to taste. Working in batches, brown the chicken pieces, turning once, for 8-10 minutes per batch, until browned on both sides. Transfer to a large plate and set aside.
If the bottom of the pan looks dry, add 1tbsp of oil. Working in two batches, add the potato pieces to the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, for around 10 minutes per batch, until browned and crisp all over. The potatoes will not be fully softened at this point. Transfer the fried potatoes to a bowl and set aside.
Add the onion and a sprinkle of salt and stir. Cover the pan, turn the heat to medium, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 8-10 minutes, until the onion is softened and browned. Stir in the paprika, turmeric, cardamom, onion powder, garlic powder, 1⁄2tsp salt, and 1⁄4tsp pepper and cook for around 1 minute, until fragrant.
Add the browned chicken pieces, the stock, and the bay leaf, cover, turn the heat to medium-low, and cook, stirring occasionally, for 40-50 minutes, until the chicken is tender. Add the potatoes and gently stir to submerge them in the cooking liquid. Raise the heat to medium and cook, uncovered, for around 10 minutes, until the cooking liquid has thickened slightly and the potatoes are fully tender. Taste and add more salt or pepper, if desired. Remove the bay leaf and serve hot. Store leftovers, covered and chilled, for up to 3 days.
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