Chocolate is a popular ingredient in Mexican cooking. It adds a wonderful depth of flavour, as this chicken stew proves. Don't save it just for the puds!
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 15g butter
- 4 free-range, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 smoked thick-cut bacon or pancetta slices, cut into lardons
- 2 celery sticks, finely chopped
- 6 thick spring onions, sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, crushed
- 150ml red wine
- 400ml chicken stock, hot
- 400g can chopped tomatoes
- 2 tbsp chilli chocolate sauce (from chillipepperpete.com)
- Handful fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Method
- 1. Preheat the oven to 180°C/fan160°C/gas 4. Heat the oil and butter in a large flameproof casserole over a medium heat. Season the chicken, add to the casserole and cook for about 5 minutes, until golden. Remove and set aside.
- 2. Add the bacon, celery and onions to the casserole and cook for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- 3. Pour in the wine and bubble over a rapid heat for 2 minutes. Pour in the stock, tomatoes and the chilli chocolate sauce.
- 4. Return the chicken to the casserole, then cover and cook in the oven for 25 minutes. Put the casserole back on the hob over a medium heat and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes, until the sauce is thickened. Season and sprinkle with the coriander. Serve with steamed rice and a green leaf and avocado salad.
Nutritional info
Per serving: 312kcals, 10.5g fat (3.4g saturated), 43.7g protein, 6.1g carbs, 4.9g sugar, 1.8g salt
Chef's tip
Chilli-obsessed Pete Seymour receives orders from all over the world, especially for the world’s hottest chilli, the Naga-bih Jolokia. Visit chillipepperpete.com.