Easy Rioja Style Chicken Recipe - Pollo a la Riojana

This chicken recipe comes from the region of La Rioja, in the North of Spain, hence the name "Pollo a la Riojana" or Rioja-Style Chicken. It is a region well-known for its wine production. The winters in Northern Spain are cold, like the climate in much of Europe, so soups and stews are very popular. This stew includes chicken and chorizo with sautéed peppers and garlic. It is a hearty main course for winter, but is light enough for any time of the year.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
1 chicken, cut in 8 pieces, OR 8 pieces of legs and breasts
1 yellow onion, peeled
2 cloves garlic
2 red peppers
1 spanish chorizo sausage
3-4 Tbsp olive oil
2-3 sprigs parsley
1 cup white wine
1 cup chicken broth
1-15 oz can peas, drained (or 8 oz frozen peas)
salt and pepper to taste
Preparation:

This Rioja-style chicken recipe makes 4-5 servings.

Important Note: If you are unable to find Spanish chorizo sausage, you may substitute Portuguese Linguica sausage, which is very similar. Mexican or Caribbean varieties cannot be used as substitutes for Spanish chorizo in Spanish recipes, due to the difference in consistency and flavor.

Peel and chop the onion. Peel the garlic and cut into thin slices. Remove the stems and seeds and cut the red peppers into strips. Slice the chorizo into rounds. Chop the parsley.

Heat a large, heavy-bottomed pot with a couple tablespoons of olive oil. Brown the chicken in the pot on both sides. Remove pot from heat and set aside.

While the chicken is browning in the pot, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large heavy-bottomed frying pan or skillet over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and sauté until onion is translucent. Add parsley, peppers, chorizo. Cook, stirring often for about 10 minutes.

Add vegetables to the large pot of chicken and mix. Add white wine and chicken broth. Stir. Cover and simmer for 30-40 minutes. About 5 minutes before removing chicken from stove, add peas.