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Chicken braised in vinho verde with romesco potatoes

Name: Chicken braised in vinho verde with romesco potatoes
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 1 h
Total time: 1 h 20 min
Yield: Serves 6
Ingredients: 6 large chicken legs; 1 tbsp sea salt flakes; 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper; 50g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped; 2 tbsp olive oil; 2 echalion (banana) shallots, finely chopped; 6 garlic cloves, finely sliced; 350ml white vinho verde wine; 100ml chicken stock; 50g coriander, finely chopped; Green beans to serve (optional); For the romesco potatoes; 60g stale bread, torn into cubes; 40g flaked almonds; 450g jar roasted red peppers, drained; 2 small garlic cloves; 1 red chilli, deseeded; 70ml olive oil; 1 tbsp sherry vinegar; ½ tsp smoked paprika; 1.2kg waxy potatoes, such as red or desiree, peeled and cut into large chunks; 3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil; Finely grated zest 1 lemon

By: Rosie Mackean

Published: 8 Jan 25
Updated: 17 Jan 25

Chicken braised in vinho verde with romesco potatoes

This easy dinner party main from Rosie Mackean transports your tastebuds to the Iberian Peninsula. Braise the chicken legs in Portuguese vinho verde for tenderness and a sharp sauce, balanced with butter and coriander. On the side, waxy spuds in Spanish romesco sauce soak up the smoky flavours.

Serve as part of Rosie’s three-course winter menu, with brown shrimp, chicory and blood orange salad to start and a honeyed mascarpone tart with rhubarb for pud.

A chef, food stylist and dinner party revivalist, Rosie completed her chef’s training before spending two years working in London kitchens. Obsessed by cookery books and TV cookery programmes, she turned her passion into a career working on cookbooks and shows such as Nadiya’s Family Favourites for the BBC and Gino’s Italian Family Adventure for ITV. She has a popular Substack, The Dinner Party, and published her first book in 2024: Good Time Cooking (Pavilion Books £26).

Easy
January 2025

Test kitchen approved

Serves 6
Prep time 20 min, plus 2 hours salting. Cook time 1 hour

Serve as part of Rosie’s three-course winter menu, with brown shrimp, chicory and blood orange salad to start and a honeyed mascarpone tart with rhubarb for pud.

Nutrition: per serving

Calories: 720kcals
Fat: 42g (11g saturated)
Protein: 31g
Carbohydrates: 42g (10g sugars)
Fibre: 6.2g
Salt: 2.8g

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Ingredients

6 large chicken legs
1 tbsp sea salt flakes
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
50g unsalted butter, chilled and chopped
2 tbsp olive oil
2 echalion (banana) shallots, finely chopped
6 garlic cloves, finely sliced
350ml white vinho verde wine
100ml chicken stock
50g coriander, finely chopped
Green beans to serve (optional)

For the romesco potatoes

60g stale bread, torn into cubes
40g flaked almonds
450g jar roasted red peppers, drained
2 small garlic cloves
1 red chilli, deseeded
70ml olive oil
1 tbsp sherry vinegar
½ tsp smoked paprika
1.2kg waxy potatoes, such as red or desiree, peeled and cut into large chunks
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
Finely grated zest 1 lemon

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Method

Put the chicken legs on a tray and season with the salt and pepper. Put in the fridge, uncovered, for 2 hours.
Heat the oven to 190°C/170°C fan/gas 5. To make the romesco, put the stale bread and almonds on a tray and bake for 8-10 minutes until the almonds are golden and the bread is crisp. Leave to cool slightly.
Set aside 20g of the almonds, then put the rest in a blender with the bread, peppers, 2 whole garlic cloves, chilli, 70ml olive oil, sherry vinegar and paprika. Season with salt, then whizz into a sauce – I like it coarse, so don’t feel the need to make it smooth.

To cook the chicken, heat 30g of the butter and 2 tbsp oil in a large frying pan or casserole over a low-medium heat. Once sizzling, add the chicken legs skin side down and cook for 8-10 minutes until golden brown (you’ll probably need to do this in 2 batches). Flip and brown the other side for a minute, then transfer to a deep roasting tray.
Add the shallot to the same pan and cook for 2 minutes, then add the sliced garlic and cook for another minute. Pour in the vinho verde, scraping the bottom of the pan with a spoon to deglaze, then simmer until reduced by half.
Pour in the stock, taste and season with salt and pepper, stir, then pour over the chicken. Cover the tray with foil and cook in the oven for 25 minutes.
Meanwhile, put the potatoes in a pan and cover with water. Season with salt, then put over a high heat. Bring to a boil, turn to a simmer, then cook for 10 minutes or so until just tender Drain, then dress with the extra-virgin oil, lemon zest and a pinch of salt and pepper. Pile onto a platter in layers, spooning the romesco onto each layer.
Take the chicken out of the oven and put on a serving platter to rest. Pour the remaining liquid into a pan and bring to the boil. Cook until reduced by about a third, then whisk in the remaining 20g butter to thicken and gloss it up. Stir in the chopped coriander, then bathe your chicken legs in the sauce. Serve with green beans, if you like.