Chicken in Pepitoria Sauce (Pollo en Pepitoria)

I got called into a meeting at the district office. Remember that survey from last year, the one where I wrote the comment about real food and cardboard? Well. The district is implementing a "Local Fresh Initiative" — sourcing some ingredients from local farms instead of the giant food service companies — and somebody remembered my comment and decided I should be on the advisory committee. Me. Dorothy Henderson. Advisory committee.

I sat in that meeting room with six people in suits who had titles like "Director of Nutritional Services" and "Student Wellness Coordinator," and they asked me what I thought. I said, "I think these children need food that tastes like someone made it on purpose. I think if you give me a budget for local produce, I will make those children eat vegetables they didn't know they liked. I think the frozen broccoli from the warehouse tastes like sadness and I have been saying this for thirty-three years and I am glad someone is finally listening." There was a silence. Then the Director of Nutritional Services said, "Mrs. Henderson, we'd like you to pilot the program at Hodge Elementary." I said, "I've been piloting it for thirty-three years. You're just making it official."

I came home buzzing. Earl said, "You look like you won something." I said, "I won the right to buy tomatoes from a farmer instead of a warehouse." He said, "That's what you've been fighting for?" I said, "Earl, that's what I've always been fighting for." He nodded. He doesn't always understand my battles, but he always recognizes when I've won one.

I made jambalaya this week to celebrate. Rice, andouille sausage, shrimp, chicken, the holy trinity, tomatoes, and enough cayenne to make your eyes water and your mouth sing. Jambalaya is a celebration dish — you don't make it for a Tuesday. You make it when something good has happened and you want the food to match the feeling. This was that kind of jambalaya. Loud, spicy, full of everything.

Now go on and feed somebody.

I told Earl I was making jambalaya to celebrate, and I did — but the recipe I keep coming back to for the nights that mean something is this one, because like jambalaya, it asks you to slow down and cook with intention: saffron bloomed in warm broth, almonds toasted and ground into a sauce that tastes like someone made it on purpose. That’s what thirty-three years of fighting for real food looks like to me. Not cardboard. Not sadness out of a warehouse bag. This. If you’re going to feed somebody, feed them like you mean it.

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 50 minutes | Total Time: 1 hour 10 minutes | Servings: 4

Ingredients

3 1/2 lbs bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs and drumsticks work best)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 medium yellow onion, finely diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup blanched almonds
1/4 tsp saffron threads
2 tbsp warm water (for blooming saffron)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, low-sodium
2 hard-boiled egg yolks
1 bay leaf
1/4 tsp ground white pepper
2 tbsp fresh flat-leaf parsley, finely chopped, for serving

Instructions

Bloom the saffron. Combine saffron threads with 2 tbsp warm water in a small bowl. Set aside to steep for at least 10 minutes while you prep everything else.
Season and sear the chicken. Pat chicken pieces completely dry with paper towels, then season generously on all sides with salt and black pepper. Heat 2 tbsp olive oil in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Sear chicken skin-side down for 5–6 minutes until deeply golden, then flip and sear the other side for 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside — the chicken will finish cooking in the sauce.
Toast the almonds. Reduce heat to medium. Add remaining 1 tbsp olive oil to the pan. Add blanched almonds and toast, stirring frequently, for 2–3 minutes until golden and fragrant. Use a slotted spoon to transfer almonds to a small food processor or mortar — leave the oil in the pan.
Build the base. Add diced onion to the same pan and cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, for 6–8 minutes until soft and translucent. Add minced garlic and cook 1 minute more until fragrant.
Deglaze with wine. Pour in the white wine and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Let it reduce for 2 minutes.
Make the picada. In the food processor or mortar, combine the toasted almonds, hard-boiled egg yolks, and the bloomed saffron with its soaking water. Grind or process into a coarse, golden paste.
Simmer the chicken. Add chicken broth, bay leaf, white pepper, and the almond-saffron picada to the pan. Stir to combine, then nestle the seared chicken pieces back in, skin-side up. Bring to a gentle simmer, cover, and cook over medium-low heat for 30–35 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened slightly.
Finish and serve. Remove and discard the bay leaf. Taste the sauce and adjust salt as needed. Serve over white rice or with crusty bread, spooning plenty of sauce over each piece. Scatter fresh parsley over the top.

Nutrition (per serving)

Chicken in Pepitoria Sauce (Pollo en Pepitoria) — When You’ve Been Right All Along, Cook Something Worthy of the Moment