Chicken, butterbean and chorizo stew A full-flavoured one pot dish

THIS dish is a firm favourite in our house and one for which I can’t take the full credit. My wife Sarah is an incredible cook and she will often make this if we have friends round. It’s a simple, delicious one-pot dish perfect for sticking in the middle of the table and letting everyone tuck in. Serve with a big bowl of buttered kale and warm crusty bread for mopping up the juices. For a vegan alternative, swap the chicken and chorizo for butternut squash and peppers, and the stock for veggie.

CHICKEN, BUTTERBEAN & CHORIZO STEW

Serves 4

Ingredients

4 x chicken breasts

1 x tin 400g butterbeans

2 x white onions, finely diced

2 x cloves garlic

1 x red chilli

1 tsp smoked paprika

200g sausage or 4 chorizo sausages 2 bay leaves

1 x cinnamon stick

200ml chicken stock

2 x 400g tins chopped tomatoes Generous skoosh of tomato puree Salt/pepper to taste

Cooking oil

50g butter

Method:

Pre-heat the oven to 170c/Gas Mark 3. First, heat a small amount of oil in a pan to sear off the chicken breasts. Season each side of the chicken and cook until golden brown. Remove from the pan. Set these aside.

Next for the stew base, finely dice the onions, crush the garlic, remove the seeds from the chilli and slice this into thin pieces. If you have a stewing pot which can be used on a gas/electric ring you can cook the whole dish in the one pan. If you have a ceramic/stone dish you will need to transfer once the base is made. Heat the butter and oil in a heavy based pan on a medium heat. Add the onions, garlic and chilli. Slowly cook with no colour. Slice the chorizo into chunky pieces and add to the pan. Cook for around two minutes then add the paprika, bay leaves, cinnamon and a pinch of salt.

Next add the tinned tomatoes and chicken stock, season lightly again with salt and a pinch of pepper. Bring the tomato mix to a simmer, add the chicken breasts to the mix ensuring they are well covered. Place a lid onto the stew pot and place in the oven on the middle shelf. Cook for around 45mins – 1hour.

Just before you serve the dish remove from the oven to add the butterbeans. Drain and rinse the beans slightly then add to the pot, place back in the oven and leave for another 10 minutes to finish. Once you make this once, you will be making it time and time again.

Gary Townsend is head chef at One Devonshire Gardens by Hotel du Vin, Glasgow. See www. hotelduvin.com or phone 0141 378 0385 to book

PHOTOGRAPH: ALAN DONALDSON