MY KITCHEN IN SPAIN: ESCABECHE—A VERSATILE HOT-WEATHER DISH

With temperatures about to hit 40ºC (104ºF) in some parts of Andalusia, it’s time to plan meals that are lighter, quicker, fresher and cooler than the soups and roasts of recent days. Chicken cooked in tangy escabeche fills the bill.

Escabeche is a very ancient way of preserving foods in a spiced vinegar and olive oil marinade. Traditionally, wild partridge or rabbit, trout or sardines would be cooked, packed in crocks and pickled in escabeche to be kept without refrigeration. Nowadays, the cooking method isn’t about preserving food, it’s about adding flavor. It's a versatile dish that can be prepared in advance and served hot or cold.

Chicken thighs cooked and marinated in tangy escabeche. Great served hot, cold or room temperature.

Strip the chicken off the bone and serve it cold with salad greens, sliced potatoes and the carrots that cooked in the escabeche. Spoon the escabeche marinade over all and garnish with fresh herbs. Sure to beat the heat.

Serve it hot: Reheat the chicken in the cooking liquid and serve with patatas fritas--fries. They are delicious doused with the escabeche marinade.

Create a rice bowl with chunks of escabeche chicken on top of brown rice and raw and cooked vegetables. Make the dressing with the garlic that cooked with the chicken (recipe below).

Chicken in Escabeche

Pollo en Escabeche

You’ll need enough cooking liquid—vinegar and water plus olive oil—to almost cover the pieces of chicken. Turn them part way through the cooking time so that top and bottom get submerged. Allow the chicken to cool in the cooking liquid, then transfer the pieces to a non-reactive container—glass or earthenware—just large enough to hold them, so they are completely submerged. As the liquid cools, the oil will rise to the top and create an air-tight “seal”.

This can be made with a whole, cut-up chicken, but I like using meaty thighs, so all the pieces are more or less the same size. (If using chicken breasts, cook the vinegar, oil, herbs and carrots for 20 minutes before adding the chicken. Breasts need to poach only 10 minutes, then cool in the escabeche.) Remove skin from the chicken pieces before cooking. Dust them with flour to brown lightly in oil before simmering in the escabeche.

Pimentón just means "paprika." I used ½ teaspoon ordinary sweet pimentón (dulce) and ½ teaspoon smoked sweet pimentón (dulce, ahumado). If you like, use a little pimentón picante, hot pimentón, as well.

Ideally, the chicken is cooked one day (in the cool of the morning, for instance) and marinated, refrigerated, at least 24 hours before being served. It can be served chilled or reheated. Use the flavor-packed escabeche cooking liquid, hot or cold, to sauce the chicken or as a salad dressing. It can be used again to escabeche another food if it is first strained and brought to a full boil, cooled and chilled or frozen.

Aromatics to flavor the escabeche.

6-8 bone-in chicken thighs (2 ½ -2 ¾ pounds)

Salt

Freshly ground black pepper

Flour for dredging

1 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon pimentón (paprika)

2 carrots

1 large onion

Sprigs of thyme

Sprigs of rosemary

Celery leaves

Parsley

2 slices lemon

1 head of garlic

3 bay leaves

½ teaspoon black peppercorns

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 cup white wine vinegar

2 ½ cups water

Greens, fresh herbs, lemon, etc., to garnish

Extra virgin olive oil to drizzle on the chicken

Remove and discard skin and excess fat from the chicken. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Dust the chicken pieces with flour, patting off excess.

Heat 1/3 cup of the oil in a heavy skillet. Fry the chicken thighs, turning them once, until lightly browned on both sides. Remove the chicken and reserve. Remove the skillet from the heat and stir in the pimentón.

Spread carrots, onions and herbs in pan.

Pour 1/3 cup of the remaining oil into a cazuela or pan large enough to hold the chicken pieces. Peel and slice the carrots crosswise and spread them in the pan. Cut the onion into lengthwise julienne slices and add to the pan. Lay sprigs of thyme, rosemary, celery and parsley on top with the lemon slices. Slice off the stem end of the head of garlic and remove any loose outer leaves. Tuck the garlic into the center of the pan.

Place the chicken pieces on top of the vegetables and herbs. Tuck the bay leaves between them. Sprinkle with peppercorns and salt. Strain the oil with pimentón left in the skillet through a sieve onto the chicken. Pour on the remaining 1/3 cup of oil. Pour over the vinegar and water. Place on medium-high heat and bring the liquid to a boil. Reduce heat so the liquid bubbles gently. Cover the pan and cook, turning the chicken pieces once, until they are tender, 30 to 40 minutes.

Submerge chicken in marinade.

Discard the cooked herbs and lemon slices. Place the chicken pieces in a non-reactive container (glass or earthenware). Pour the escabeche liquid and vegetables over the chicken. Cover the container.

If the chicken is to be served within three hours, leave it at room temperature. Otherwise, refrigerate up to three days.

Serve the chicken cold or room temperature or reheat it in its cooking liquid. Garnish with greens, fresh herbs, sliced lemon, etc. Finish by drizzling a little extra virgin olive oil over the chicken.

Garnish chicken with pickled carrots, greens, fresh herbs.

Rice Bowl with Escabeche Chicken

Bol de Arroz con Pollo en Escabeche

This is a little like a poké bowl, but with Mediterranean rather than Asian flavors. The dressing is made by blending the escabeche-cooked garlic cloves with some of the escabeche liquid. Use the pickled carrots that cooked with the chicken in the bowl with a variety of cooked and raw vegetables.

For the dressing:

1 head escabeche-cooked garlic

1 cup escabeche liquid

Salt

1 tablespoon chopped parsley

For 1 serving of rice bowl:

1 escabeche chicken thigh

1 cup cooked brown rice

1 tablespoon escabeche liquid

Escabeche-cooked carrots

Sliced cucumber

Cherry tomatoes

Cooked green beans or asparagus

Hard-boiled quail or hen’s egg

½ avocado, sliced

Thinly sliced onion

Black olives

Lemon slices

Chopped parsley

For the dressing: Pinch the cooked garlic cloves from the whole head and place them in a blender with the escabeche liquid. Blend until emulsified and smooth. Add salt to taste. Stir in chopped parsley.

Top rice with chicken, beans, avocado, cuke, tomatoes.

For the rice bowl: Remove and discard the chicken bone. Dice the meat. Combine the rice with 1 tablespoon of the escabeche liquid and fluff with a fork. Spread the rice in a bowl. Heap the diced chicken in the center. Surround the chicken with the carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, beans, eggs cut in half and avocado. Top with onion and olives. Tuck lemon slices around the edge. Sprinkle with parsley. Serve the dressing alongside the bowl.