Chicken in Garlic sauce

The Spanish love to use sherry in their cooking, as the town of Xerez is the lead producer, this recipe uses sherry with garlic and chicken to produce a tasty tapas dish, or increase the quantities for a good main course.

Serves 2

8 Boneless,skinless chicken thighs
1 Tablespoon sweet paprika (Pimenton)
2 Tablespoons olive oil
8 Garlic cloves, unpeeled
60ml Fino sherry
125ml Chicken stock
1 Bay leaf
Handful of fresh chopped parsley

1. In a bowl, combine the paprika and a pinch of salt and pepper and roll the chicken around in the seasoning. You can keep the chicken in whole pieces prior to cooking or slice them into thirds, your choice entirely.

2. Heat a tablespoon of the olive oil in a wide frying pan and cook the garlic cloves in their skins for 1-2 minutes, or until brown. Remove from the pan onto a plate, cook the chicken in the same pan in batches for 5 minutes or until browned, return the chicken to the pan and add the sherry and reduce for 30 seconds and then add the chicken stock and bay leaf.

3. Reduce the heat and cover the pan, simmer for 10 minutes on a low heat.

4. While the chicken is cooking, squeeze the garlic from out of its skins and into a pestle and mortar (if you do not have one, use the end of a rolling pin and a mixing bowl) and grind to a smooth paste, stir into the chicken and cook for a further 10 minutes.

5. Sprinkle over the parsley and serve in small dishes as part of a tapas selection, or if making a larger quantity of this dish then serve with basmati rice.