Sunshine in a bowl - chicken and chorizo stew with Roussillon red

Chicken stew, Mediterranean style - serves 4

This is good winter stew with strong flavours of the Mediterranean. Like so many stews it acquires greater depth of flavour the day after you cook it.

4 Chicken thighs
1 spicy cooking chorizo
1 red chilli
1 onion
2 plump cloves of garlic
1 stick of celery
1 bulb of fennel
Roasted peppers (red and yellow)
1 tin of tomatoes
1 tin of cannellini beans
Handful of Tuscan green olives

1 tsp smoked paprika
Saffron strands
Herbes de provence
One glass of Noilly Prat or Pernod
½ glass white wine
Dash of tabasco
Chicken stock

Pistou

Lightly sprinkle the smoked paprika over the seasoned chicken thighs.

Sauté the chicken thighs over a medium heat until golden. Set aside.
Cut the chorizo into chunks, sauté and set aside

Cook the onion, garlic and celery over a low heat until they turn colour.
Add the chilli and sweat for five minutes
Add the fennel and green olives
Add the Noilly Prat and reduce.
Add the stock and wine as well as seasoning, a dash of Tabasco and herbs
Reduce for half an hour
Reintroduce the chicken and chorizo and cook for another ten minutes
Check seasoning

Five minutes before serving add the roasted peppers and saffron

Spoon over garlicky pistou and serve in bowls with crusty bread and a mixed salad of red chard and rocket.

We polished off the remainder of the bottle of Roc des Anges Segna de Cor Rouge. What a match! The smoky paprika notes, chunky chorizo and blast of herbs in the stew soaked up the youthful booming spicy fruit flavours of this Roussillon favourite.