Braised Chicken with Chickpeas & Peppers
Ingredients
3-4 chicken breasts, bone-in
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon paprika
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons olive oil
6 cloves garlic, crushed
1 onion, sliced
2 slices of bacon, diced
2 stalks celery, diced
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1/4 teaspoon marjoram
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
48 oz chicken stock
2 lemon slices
1/2 cup sliced red peppers
4 sprigs thyme
1/4 cup parsley, rough chopped
1 16-oz can garbanzo beans (chickpeas)
crusty fresh bread for dipping
Instructions
Season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and paprika, and lightly dredge in flour, shaking off excess flour. In a heavy bottomed pan or a cooktop safe insert, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Brown the chicken breasts on both sides, about 3-4 minutes, working in batches if necessary. Remove the chicken from the pan/insert and set aside.
Lower the flame to medium-low, and add the garlic and onion, cooking until softened. Add the bacon and let it brown. Add the celery, tomato paste, marjoram, red chili flakes, and 1 cup of the chicken stock, and stir until the tomato paste is incorporated. Return the chicken to the insert, and add the remaining chicken stock. Top with lemon slices and nestle the sliced red peppers, thyme, parsley and chickpeas around the chicken.
Set to slow cook on low for 5 hours, or until the chicken is tender and falling off the bones. Serve hot with crusty warm bread - it tastes wonderful dipped into the broth.