BASQUE -STYLE BAKED CHICKEN lower-fat, wallet-friendly, prepare ahead

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 Baked chicken thighs/wings, Spanish-style, rich with pimento & garlic...

Spanish-style Roast chicken with a paprika/garlic  twist

67goingon50 didn't manage to sample Basque food while in Spain but recipes in a recently released cookbook by London-based Jose Pizarro offers rich flavours and combinations.  

Basque Chicken is adapted from one of them because it's economical, easy, prepare ahead and deliciously different from usual run-of-the-mill.

It relies on paprika for flavour, giving the meat a smoky-sweet flavour without heat.  The mellow pepperiness comes from heart-friendly garlic - lots of it - but doesn't overwhelm.   This chicken should please the entire family.

67 chose chicken thighs because they were on special* at Waitrose; the original recipe called for wings;  legs  will probably also work well.  67 removed the skin from the chicken to reduce as much fat as possible but if you're young and not worried about cholesterol, feel free to leave it on. 

Cost: ££3.25'ish

Feeds: 4-5

Ingreds:

1 kg chicken thighs or wings

Marinade

4-6 cloves finely sliced garlic

1.5 teaspoons smoked paprika

Pinch chilli flakes or powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano

Olive oil

Method:

1. Remove skin from chicken if using thighs; lightly season with salt & pepper
2. Place marinade ingredients in a nonmetallic dish; add a good glug of olive oil; mix; add chicken, dipping both sides in marinade; leave bone side down at least 4 hours
3. Turn chicken over until flesh side sits in marinade; refrigerate at least 12 hours or overnight
4. Pre-heat oven to 190°C/375F; remove chicken from marinade and then the garlic; spread the chicken pieces out  on a baking rack in a roasting pan; add a bit more oil to the marinading juices, and brush the meat liberally; roast 40 to 45 mins or until tender (careful; it gets gnarly and dry very easily)
5. Serve warm or at room temperature with Russian Potato Salad, lettuce, tomatoes, cucumber and beetroot

*Waitrose`; 1 kilo thighs, £2.40

Comments:

'Together with the Russian Potato salad, it was a great meal. The meat was very tasty; it could be hot or cold, on its own or chopped and mixed in a salad.' 67 handyman/friend

Tips:

• In the original recipe, Pizarro turns this into a tray-bake, peeling 1/2 kilo of potatoes and cutting them into large bite-size pieces; they are placed under the chicken; as it cooks the fats drip down, browning and crisping the  potatoes.  Sounds fabulous but sadly far too rich for most 67goingon50 readers!!

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This recipe has been developed by B M Lee/ Bright Sun Enterprises.  It may not be reproduced without the author's written permission.