Recipe: Chicken in Saffron and Garlic Sauce (Gallina en Pepitoria)

CHICKEN IN SAFFRON AND GARLIC SAUCE
(GALLINA EN PEPITORIA)

5 tbsp olive oil, divided use
1 large stewing chicken, cut in pieces*
1 medium onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp pine nuts
1 slices white bread, crust removed
1 chicken liver
2 sprig parsley, chopped fine
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
1 pinch saffron, toasted**
salt and pepper to taste

Heat 2 to 3 tablespoons olive oil in a casserole. When oil begins to smoke, fry chicken, carefully dried, with onion and garlic.

On the side, put to boil enough water to cover chicken.

In a skillet, fry pine nuts in 2 tablespoons olive oil. Remove them to mortar.

Fry bread and chicken liver (cover pan until liquid has cooked out of liver in order to avoid spattering grease). Remove bread and chicken liver to mortar. Mash them to a fine paste with parsley, yolks of hard-boiled eggs, and toasted saffron. Dilute with a little boiling water.

When chicken is golden but not brown, sprinkle it with salt and pepper, pour mixture from mortar over it, add boiling water to cover. Stir. Cook slowly, covered, until chicken is almost tender, then remove lid to allow sauce to thicken.

TO SERVE:
Strain sauce over chicken in serving dish. This recipe is traditionally served with plain boiled rice.

*Stewing chicken will take 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 hours. The recipe can be made with two or three young chickens, which may be tender in just 30 minutes. If sauce is too thin when chicken is done, remove chicken, boil sauce down, then reheat chicken in sauce.

**TO ROAST SAFFRON:
Fold grains in a piece of paper, place paper on hot plate or any hot surface until paper begins to brown. Remove saffron from paper and crush with pestle in a mortar or bowl.