CHICKEN, CHORIZO & LEEK BAKE

WITH SMOKED ALMONDS

Serves: 4-6  | Prep time: 10 mins | Cook time: 40-45 mins

This Chicken, Chorizo & Leek bake is one of those one pot wonders that is bound to make it into your regular rotation. It’s hearty, full on flavour, super easy to pull together and certainly not boring. If you’re cooking for guests, they’re bound to be impressed. 

It’s a satisfying dish on it’s own but can also be served with some crusty bread or cous cous to soak up the sauce. Add some steamed greens or a simple salad and you have a meal that covers all bases. 

Now just a word on the star of this recipe… the La Boqueria chorizo. It’s amazingly versatile and delicious. Do yourself a favour and have some in the fridge at all times. This award winning chorizo is perfectly balanced in flavour and makes anything taste great. Cook it and have it on pizza; slice or crumble it through pasta; remove the casing and mix it through meat balls or burger patties; add it to stews; have it with eggs for breakfast; the options are endless. Also, if you like things with a bit of spice there’s also a hot variety too! Winner, winner chicken dinner. 

Recipe and images courtesy of Alana Lowes.

INGREDIENTS
2 tbsp olive oil
270g La Boqueria chorizo (twin pack), sliced into 1cm thick rounds
1kg chicken thighs
300g kipfler potatoes or another roasting style potato, sliced into 1cm thick rounds
1 leek, sliced into 1cm thick rounds
6 sprigs of thyme
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
100ml chicken stock
100g crème fraiche
¼ cup finely chopped parsley
Smoked almonds, roughly chopped
Salt & cracked pepper

METHOD
Preheat the oven to 180°C fan forced.

Place a 2.5L flame proof casserole dish over medium heat and add the oil. Add the chorizo to the pan and sauté until lightly brown and some of the fat has melted. Remove the chorizo and set aside. In small batches, add the chicken to the pan, and brown for a couple of minutes on each side. Set the chicken aside.  

Into the pan, add the kipfler potatoes and the leek, sauté for 5 minutes or until light golden. Add the garlic and half the thyme and stir until fragrant. Add the lemon juice and chicken stock to the pan and stir to deglaze, scraping away any bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. Add in the crème fraiche and gently stir to create the delicious sauce.

Return the chicken and chorizo back into the pan with the potatoes, leeks and sauce, along with the remaining thyme. Place the casserole dish with the lid on into the oven. Bake for 25-30 mins or until the chicken is cooked through.

To serve, sprinkle with the fresh parsley, smoked almonds and season with salt and cracked pepper.

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