Pollo al Ajillo

Method

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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.

   Mark done Start 4 min timer

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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Chef’s Tips

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

Common Substitutions & Variations

• An eighth of a teaspoon of garlic powder per clove is the usual stand-in when you are out of fresh garlic — it will not caramelise the same way, but it carries the flavour.
• Vegetable stock in place of the chicken stock makes this meat-free without changing the method, if that is what you need.

Pairing Suggestions

• Crusty bread
• Patatas bravas
• Chilled fino

Storage & Reheating

Keeps 3 days refrigerated and reheats well, covered.

Common questions

Nutritional Highlights

Per serving, calculated from the ingredient list. Treat these as an estimate — brands and cuts vary.