Hello!!!
I’m back! Well, I have been for a while now. As with every trip or holiday, its conclusion always heralds a major pile of all sorts of catching up: a mountain of work, household bills and loose ends, family to kiss and coddle.
I’m still wading through all that – with work and bills steadily and surely, with the kisses more enthusiastically – but making dents and progress (and getting kissed back just as enthusiastically). In any case, I couldn’t wait to get back in here and share more than just a recipe with you! But more on that in a bit.
First I wanted to tell you what my trip was all about, if you’ll allow this girl a little bit of rambling. Barcelona has always been a city close to my heart. I fell madly in love with it when I first visited, way back when I was a teenager (and dinosaurs roamed the earth!). It was my first time to travel to Europe. I went with my parents while my brother was sent to Australia to visit with cousins. One of our cousins there is his best friend and they were going to do one summer camp or other. Or so said the official parental statement. But I knew the real reason. It was because he wasn’t sophisticated enough for Europe yet. And I, in all my teenage delusions, of course was.
That was a million years ago, but Barcelona still continues to entrance me. It is a city of both history and mystery, of art and drama, of idyllic streets and burning passions, of unique culture and charming eccentricity, of both age-old traditions and breaking with tradition. You can see it in the Roman ruins they bump into every time they try to dig up a new parking lot. You feel it smooth curves of a modernisme structure, breaking away from the gothic like a breathless swimmer propelling himself towards the light. You hear it in the brisk yet swaying Catalan language that surrounds you when you walk.
You experience it in Antoni Gaudi’s famed cathedral, that grows each time I see it. When I first visited it had hardly a roof. Now its ceiling canopies over us like an enchanted forest. It is like some living, organic creature, that grows with its city, with its people, with the people that flock to see it and whose entrance fees go towards its completion. Inside and out it is strewn with countless symbols, enough to keep this then-young/now-old Catholic geek captivated for hours.
It is a city whose secrets I feel I may never fully discover. Perhaps that’s the reason I keep returning. The old couples at mass. The busy market and the spice lady I return to every time, to top up my supply of pimenton and spice mixes. The narrow streets of the old quarters and their washing lines on rickety balconies. The old bakeries that churn out, quite literally, the daily bread of a proud people. The amazing modernist designs that defied convention with their strange and mesmerizing beauty. The wide sidewalks of Paseo de Gracia where I take note of all the signs on the old buildings that say “for sale” or “for rent” and I dream and dream and dream about “what if“.
And the food, oh the food! I have never left Barcelona without my jeans getting tighter.
This year, I wanted to (hopefully) share all that with my best friend, who was doing a round-the-world turning-40 trip. She was going to different places that held meaning for her and meeting different people there. I was Barcelona…finally embarking on the Barcelona trip we had long planned. It was wonderful. Being in my favorite city with my best friend is an experience I will treasure forever.
So, I wanted to share some of this happiness with you! And what better way than a giveaway! When I went to restock my spices I bought extra to share. If you are a long time reader here then you know that pimenton de la Vera is one of my favorite spices to use (and have been guilty of overusing!) – a pantry staple and my secret weapon to turn the ordinary into the extraordinary. Its smoky flavor adds an extra oomph to many dishes. I’ve also said that it’s important to get pimenton with a denominacion de origen – the difference in flavor and aroma is worth seeking out (and paying for). But just in case you needed more convincing I’ve got an extra tin here for one of you to play around and experiment with.
Or you can start with the recipe below.
Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce
(adapted from Vikalinka)
For the bravas sauce:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 white onion, chopped
- 6 cloves garlic, chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Pimenton de la Vera, picante
- 1 teaspoon Pimenton de la Vera, dulce
- 1 medium carrot, small dice
- 2-3 sprigs fresh thyme, leaves picked
- 1 400-gram can chopped tomatoes
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- Salt and pepper, to taste
For the chicken:
- 1-2 tablespoons olive oil
- 8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 1 – 1 1/2 teaspoons Pimenton de la Vera, dulce
- 1 red pepper, sliced
- 1 400-gram can white beans, drained
- 1/2 cup green olives
- 2-3 sprigs parsley, leaves picked and roughly chopped
- Salt and pepper to taste
– Make your sauce first. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a pan and then add the onion and garlic. Sauté until the onions soften.
– Add the carrot and thyme leaves and cook until the carrots start to soften. Add a spoonful of water if things are starting to look too dry.
– Add chopped tomatoes, vinegar, pimenton dulce and picante, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and simmer until the sauce has thicken, about 10 minutes or so.
– When it has reached your desired consistency take it off the heat. Pour the sauce into a food processor or blender and process until smooth, then set aside. Take care with placing hot liquids in the blender!
– Now get on with the chicken. Sprinkle the chicken thighs with pimenton, salt, and pepper on both sides. Heat the oil in an oven-proof skillet or pan and brown the chicken on all sides (it shouldn’t be fully cooked). Do not overcrowd the pan so cook in batches if necessary. Set the chicken aside and drain most of the fat from the pan (I leave about 1 tablespoon behind because it adds to the flavor and I like to live dangerously).
– Now add the sliced red peppers to the remaining hot oil in the same skillet and sauté just until it starts to lose some of its crunch. Then add the bravas sauce to this and stir. Add the beans and spread out evenly, then nestle the chicken pieces among the sauce and beans. Drizzle any chicken juices that have gathered while the chicken was set aside over the lot. Scatter olives over.
– Place the pan in a pre-heated 350F oven for about 30 minutes or until cooked through. Sprinkle with chopped parsley when done.
The original recipe calls for a red chili in the sauce but I substituted pimenton picante and dulce for a milder heat since my kids were going to eat this and I haven’t yet built up their heat tolerance to our level (currently they are still at “buffalo chicken wings” level…but I’m working on it).
I love how you’ve got the beans, sauce, and chicken cooking in one dish. These hearty, one-pot dishes are just the type of thing I like to serve to my family.
So, without further ado! I’ll be giving away one tin of Pimenton de la Vera dulce. There are three varieties: dulce, picante, and agridulce. I use the dulce the most and I think it would be the most versatile. If you’ve been hanging around here you would know that I use it in anything and everything: from Spanish dishes, to pasta sauce, to a simple fried egg. Just search for pimenton in this blog and you will get a ton of ideas!
Aside from the pimenton I’ll also be including a small pot of the “asados mix” that I buy from my spice lady. She says it works well with meats and roasts and I’ve used it successfully with chicken, beef, and lamb. A lot of my simple baked chicken dishes you see on my Instagram feed are rubbed with this spice mix.
How to join? This giveaway is open to anyone in the Philippines, as long as you can provide me with a valid email (where I can get in touch with you). All you have to do is leave a comment on this post saying what you plan to do with the spices! Winner will be chosen at random, as in name-picked-out-of-a-hat (I use a real hat…I know, I am a true oldie). Deadline for this giveaway will be October 16. It’s that easy!
Also, it’s my birthday this weekend so let’s call this a birthday giveaway shall we? 🙂
I am so excited for one of you to have these spices that I love cooking with!!! We can cook in tandem!
p.s. If you are travelling to Barcelona and have any questions you’d like to ask please feel free to leave a comment or email me.
p.p.s. Have a wonderful weekend!
If i win, i will cook this Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce and use it in cooking Callos. I will also share it with my mom in law who inspired me to cook. She is the Julia Child of my life
Hi Michelle! I love your anecdote about your mom in law…so sweet! 🙂
Oh I so want to win this! I haven’t been to Spain but I plan to on my next trip to Europe! Off the top of my head, pimenton will be great with callos, or just on top of freshly fried chorizos just to up the ante!
Hi Ayen! Just like you mentioned, I actually do add this to chorizos if I feel their flavor isn’t strong enough…it’s a good way to give a little more depth to less-than-stellar chorizo 😉
Oh! That dish looks so yummy! I’m definitely going to try it out with that pimenton you’re going to be giving away
I’m also thinking of using it in my family’s fav dish, osso buco, or maybe I’ll use some in my chicken enchilada or callos!
Thanks so much for the yummy birthday giveaway! I’m crossing my fingers! Happy birthday!!!
Hi Christine! Thanks! It’ll be lovely in all the dishes you named…and I do secretly sneak it into Mexican dishes 😉
PS. Too bad I’ve gone to Barcelona without buying any spices! #facepalm! I should’ve asked you for tips when I had the chance now all I can do is pray that your spices land in my kitchen!
Next time you go let me know! 🙂
I’m always looking for ways to spice up family meals and these two spices sound like a great way to add a unique flavor to dishes. I’d probably try them on porkchops or baked chicken dishes but i think they’d add a great flavor to roasted vegetables or even chickpeas for a vegetarian meal option 🙂
Hi Erika! Yes, it’s definitely a great thing to spice up a family meal…sometimes I add it to regular tomato-base pasta sauce for that very purpose 🙂 Rubbed on pork chops or baked chicken would be great too! And I have a recipe for chickpeas that uses pimenton here on the blog!
If I’m the lucky winner I’ll use those spices for dishes like
Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce, Lemon Butter Chicken & My Protein Bowl… any recipes from your blog that calls for Pimenton de la Vera!
I’m glad that you’ve enjoyed your trip in Barcelona… another city listed on my bucket list 🙂
Before I forget… Happy Birthday!!!!
I’ll be celebrating mine soon.. October 22nd 🙂
Thank you! We have the same birthday month!! Advanced birthday greetings to you! 🙂
Hi Kaycee! It’ll work well with all those dishes! 🙂 Barcelona is really nice…hope you can make it there!
I will use it in an attempt to make chorizo.
Hi Lee! Yes that’s perfect! 🙂
High-5 on the La Chinata – how I love both types! Indispensable when I make grilled octopus or gambas a la plancha!
Hi Ling! Me too! Yes on both counts! 🙂 🙂
Hi Joey! Happy Birthday again! 🙂
I normally don’t join blog giveaways, but this was too delicious to pass up. I’d use this with some chicken portions, baby potatoes, carrots, onions, olive oil, lemon halves, and garlic in a pan to roast. My mouth is already watering. Haha!
Happy Birthday again, Joey! 🙂
Thanks Kat!! That sounds like I chicken dish I would cook…and love to eat! 🙂
I’m so curious about this pimenton, I think I would use it in lots of things, even gazpacho or paella. Or throw in some Middle Eastern foods…
Hi Sylvia! It would be good in all those dishes…and yes, I secretly use it in other cuisines (beyond Spanish) as well 😉
Hi Joey,
Welcome back!
I’ve been following your blog and have been curious about what is and where to get pimenton de la vera. If I win this, I’m going to try it on one of your breakfast recipes here– with eggs. Like your kids, I also have low tolerance for spicy foods. If they can eat this, I’m sure that pimenton will give me that just mild kick to upgrade my favorite dishes such as egg and pasta.
Thank you and happy birthday, Joey!! Celebrated mine also last weekend (on a Sunday) over glorious food (to borrow your term) with family and a close friend. Yes, no need for fancy celebrations.
Hi Joy! Thanks so much for your comment and your birthday greetings! This is the dulce variety so it will not be spicy for you 🙂 I love it on eggs (and pasta sauces)!! Wait a minute…our birthdays are a day apart?? What a great coincidence! 🙂 Sounds like you spent it well 🙂
Belated happy birthday, Joey!
I always get hungry after reading your posts! First time joiner here and it excites me just by thunking of trying this pimenton on my gambas, garlic shrooms, even fried egg or sprinkled on homemade potato chips or french fries!
Hi Michelle! Thanks for joining! And thanks for the birthday greetings! 🙂 All of those sound fantastic and the smoky flavor would be wonderful in any of them!
I’ve been wanting to try cooking other Spanish dishes in addition to Callos and Pochero. During the recent Manila International Book Fair, I bought a Spanish cookbook published locally by Anvil. The pimenton and the spices will be great when I try the recipes.
Hi Ion! Sounds like that book was a great buy! I missed the book fair sadly 🙁 I love books and used to work in a bookstore for a while!
It’s posts like yours that get me all the more excited for my trip to Barcelona with the bestie next summer! We expect to get fat; well, he expects to get fat and I expect to get fatter. In the meantime, bookmarking your chicken recipe for when he comes back from tour.
Oh, and those spices would be amazing for roasts and Med-style braises. Oh, and the pimenton works a scrumptious charm on classic macaroni and cheese. 😀
Hi Midge! That trip sounds wonderful! I am sure you will both have an awesome time!
The pimenton is definitely good with roasts and braises…but never thought of using it in mac and cheese!! That’s genius!!
OMG, what wouldn’t I make? I’ve only tried pimenton picante, but I would love to try the dulce so I can really pile it on and get the full flavor effect. I’d definitely make this, potatoes, gambas and pretty much any other recipe I can find on this site. And if I DON’T win, please do let me know where you get your supply for both the pimenton AND that delicious-sounding spice blend!
Haha! Jo! The dulce is what I use most often…so good! And yes, it’s great because you don’t have to worry about holding back on flavor because of spice 🙂
I get this in Spain…although you can find pimenton in Terry’s also 🙂
Will try the pimenton with callos. Please let me win!:)
Hi Marivic! Perfect for callos! 🙂
I guess I’ll follow your recipe! Pls let me know where I can buy the pimenton. Thanks.
Hi John! You can find in Terry’s Selection 🙂
I’m a long-time reader of your blog but this is my first time to post a comment because I would love to win the giveaways you generously offer. I’m a 59-year-old mom to four adult children and “Mamita” to a 5-year-old granddaughter and 3-year-old grandson. I’ve cooked for the family since Day-1 and now my second daughter with the two kids is also passionate about cooking albeit using the usual local spices because we can’t afford imported ones.
Your “Spanish Chicken in Bravas Sauce” post makes me drool — it’ll be the first recipe that I must try should I win — and then there’s the Callos, and your other must-try recipes which use these lovely spices.
Keeping my hopes high (even if I am a Davao-resident). Fighting!
Hi Gwendolyn! Thanks so much for your sweet comment! So happy to hear you enjoy the blog! 🙂 So nice to hear of your family and yours, and your daughter’s, love for cooking…I can imagine your family meals to be so delicious and filled with laughter (my kids are 5 and 2.5 so I know what it’s like to have them running around!) 🙂 Hope all is well in beautiful Davao!
Hey Yo! To be honest, I have zero idea how to cook with this spice so I will be following your recipe with exactness. Haha! Fingers crossed. Xo
Hi Amber! Pimenton is super good!! It’s a smoked paprika so it so just think of a smoky bbq, red pepper, and Spanish chorizo 🙂
I would love to cook with your spices specially the one from Barcelona.
Thanks Ginger! 🙂
HI Joey, Happy birthday month! i would use the spice in mixed mushrooms cooked a la salpicao. i’ve always wanted to add some to chicken-pork adobo but haven’t gotten around to doing it so, yes, i’d do it. i’d also add some to tortilla de patatas. oh, fun!
Thank you Millet! Ooooh…those all sound so good! And now you’ve given me the idea for adobo too!
I’ll try a few of the recipes here on your blog with these.