JULIA SPENCER-FLEMING: The good news, dear readers, is that Celia is recovering well from her knee replacement surgery! The bad news is you're getting a recipe from me today, and it's not accompanied by a delightful story of how I met a member of the royal family, or lived in the Far East, or emigrated to New York City. My life has been much, much duller than Celia's. Also, I didn't even think to take pictures when I made this, let alone an instructional video. Julia Child, I'm not.
Instead, I'm giving you a reasonable quick Spanish Stew, perfect for the rapidly cooling weather. If you're in the south, and NOT experiencing any cooling because your power is out, you have all our sympathy and best wishes. Some nights it's a home-made meal, some nights it's a cold sandwich.
Spanish Stew
For the liquid portion:
1/2 cup olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic or 6 t pre-minced garlic (my fave for speed and simplicity)
1 large or 2 regular cans of tomatoes, with their juice
1 eggplant, peeled and diced
1 bay leaf
1 t cayenne pepper, or less if you have white-person mouth like me.
1 t Kosher salt, or to taste
For the hefty stuff:
2 T olive oil
Chicken breast, cubed. I used 2 breasts for a smaller serving. You can go up from there, depending on how meaty you want this to be
Two large potatoes, sliced into half-moons. Is there a professional term for this cut? If there is I don't know it.
OPTIONAL: Chorizo or similar spicy sausage. Get the kind you can crumble, not the cured kind you slice.
Halved olives. I like Manzanillas for this dish, but you do you. If you don't want to fuss with cutting, get some pre-sliced ones.
1 t paprika
Garnish:
chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
In a large pot (I used my Dutch oven) heat the olive oil. Add the onions and garlic and simmer for a minute. Put the tomatoes with their juice in and smush them with your spoon. Don't fret about getting them small, there's a blender later on in this recipe. Add the diced eggplant, bay leaf, cayenne pepper and salt to taste. Remember, there will be salt in those canned tomatoes, and if you choose to add the sausage, you may need less cayenne. Simmer for 15 minutes to let the flavors blend.
In a generously sized skillet, heat 2 T oil. When it's sizzling, stir in chicken, potatoes and, if you like, crumbled chorizo. Sprinkle the chicken and potatoes with paprika. Saute on high, stirring frequently, until everything is browned. Remove from heat.
Back to the saucy stuff! Either pour the tomato-eggplant mix into a blender/Cuisinart or use your immersion blender. I finally got one for Christmas after seeing how much Celia uses hers, and it has changed my life. 10/10 would recommend. Take out the bay leaf, then blend until smooth and taste to adjust seasonings.
Into the large pot goes the now-blended saucy stuff, the meat and potatoes, the olives and the bay leaf. Simmer for 10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender.
I served this with popping biscuits because that was what I had, but it would be best with a nice crusty bread and a hearty red, like a Malbec or a Rioja.
Dear readers, what are you having for dinner tonight? And have you been affected by Hurricane Helene?
