Pollo al Ajillo

How to Make Pollo al Ajillo

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1. Season the chicken all over with the salt and pepper.

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2. Heat the olive oil in a wide heavy pan over a medium heat.

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3. Add the unpeeled garlic cloves and the bay leaves and fry gently for 4 minutes, until the skins colour. Lift the garlic out.

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4. Raise the heat and brown the chicken in the flavoured oil for 12 minutes, turning, until deep gold all over.

   Mark done Start 12 min timer

5. Sprinkle the paprika over and turn the chicken once.

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6. Pour in the sherry and let it bubble hard for 3 minutes, scraping the base.

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7. Return the garlic cloves, add the stock, and cover.

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8. Simmer 15 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has reduced and gone glossy.

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9. Uncover and cook 3 minutes more to thicken.

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10. Scatter the parsley over and serve with lemon and bread, squeezing the garlic from its skins.

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Notes for Getting It Right

• Whole unpeeled cloves. Anything else burns.
• Fino sherry, not cooking wine.
• Squeeze the garlic onto bread at the table.

Swaps and Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the stand-in usually given when you are out of fresh garlic; it will not brown the same way, and it burns easily, so add it with the liquid.

What Goes With Pollo al Ajillo

• Crusty bread
• Patatas bravas
• Chilled fino

Sides from the same cuisine on this site: Escalivada, Espinacas a la Catalana, Judias Verdes con Jamon.

Storing & Reheating Pollo al Ajillo

Keeps 3 days refrigerated and reheats well, covered.

Pollo al Ajillo Nutrition Facts

Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: weights that include bone are counted as if all of it were eaten, so the figures run high; all the alcohol is counted, though some is lost in cooking. The calories include 6 g of alcohol a serving, which is not part of the protein, carbohydrate or fat. How the figures are worked out.

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