Chicken With Morcilla and Peppers

By Florence Fabricant

Published March 17, 2009

Total Time
1½ hours
Rating
4(10)
Comments
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As I tasted the reds from Bierzo, I wanted food that was dark, rich and earthy. Why not morcilla — Spanish blood sausage? A plate of nicely seared morcilla, or French boudin noir, would be enough alongside these wines.But in this dish of chicken on a bed of cannellini beans, the morcilla provides just an accent, albeit forceful, like a spoonful of horseradish on boiled beef. Another kind of sausage — or none at all — could be used, though it would change the dish’s character and color.I cooked the beans separately to guarantee their tenderness. Canned beans provide an acceptable shortcut. For six servings, I used chicken breasts, thighs and wings, briefly seared. With one chicken cut up, double the amount of sausage. Some guests may be delighted.

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Ingredients

Yield:6 servings

  • 3 chicken breast halves, with wings, skin and bones

  • 6 chicken thighs with skin

  • 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika

  • Salt

  • freshly ground black pepper

  • 4 cups cooked cannellini beans, starting with 1 ½ cups dry beans, or 2 cans, rinsed

  • 1 tablespoon sliced garlic

  • 3 red bell peppers, cored, seeded, in half-inch-wide vertical strips

  • 2 medium-size sweet onions, in eighths

  • 12 ounces morcilla (Spanish blood sausage) or boudin noir, sliced 1 inch thick

  • 1 cup dry red wine

  • 2 stems fresh rosemary, leaves only

Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)

98 grams carbs; 307 milligrams cholesterol; 1306 calories; 26 grams monosaturated fat; 10 grams polyunsaturated fat; 18 grams saturated fat; 60 grams fat; 24 grams fiber; 1561 milligrams sodium; 89 grams protein; 12 grams sugar

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    Separate wings from breasts. Cut each breast in half. Dry all chicken pieces. Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch skillet. Add chicken, skin side down, and cook over medium-high heat, just until skin is golden. Do not turn pieces; cook in stages if they do not all fit in pan at once.

  2. Step 2

    Place chicken in a bowl and rub with paprika, salt and pepper. Toss beans with garlic, season with salt and pepper, and spread in a large, shallow casserole that can hold chicken in a single layer. Place chicken, skin side up, on bed of beans. Heat oven to 400 degrees.

  3. Step 3

    Heat remaining oil in skillet, add peppers and onion chunks and sauté until starting to brown. Scatter around chicken. Add sausage to skillet, sauté, stirring, a couple of minutes until just starting to sizzle. Tuck sausage pieces into casserole. Pour wine in skillet, deglaze pan and pour over ingredients in casserole. Scatter rosemary on top. Place in oven and bake 45 minutes, basting chicken with juices once or twice. Serve.

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Comments

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Suzanne Douglass

Please highlight this recipe! I’ve been using it since Ms. Fabricant first wrote it years ago. So easy and delicious. Even better the second day. Last night I used blutwurst instead of morcilla. But I am sure any sausage would work.

Edith

I just made this and it was absolutely delicious. I cut the recipe in half. I used rioja wine. The only change I made was so did not have any red peppers on hand so I used a handful of peppadew peppers (pickled from a jar). Served with rice. So very very good!! I will make this again.

Kate

So delicious, simple, and elegant. I used chicken things and drumsticks, and I increased the seasonings for more flavor: double the paprika and rosemary and four fat garlic cloves. Rioja for the wine. Yum!

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