This is inspired wholeheartedly by a dish I ate while cooking at the 45th birthday party of Nicos in Mexico City a few months ago. I love how many Mexican chefs are so enamoured of aspects of Spanish cooking, while still having a fierce pride in their own traditions and ingredients. Alfredo Villanueva, from Villa Torel, shared some of the secrets of this dish with me, which I have attempted to adapt for home cooking and the season. A veritable feast, and wonderful paired with a crisp, bitter-leaf salad.
Turmeric chicken rice with peas and herbs
Prep 15 min
Cook 1 hr 15 min
Serves 4-6
1 medium chicken, jointed into wings, drumsticks, thighs and halved breasts (ask the butcher to do this for you, if need be)
Olive oil
1 large yellow onion
2 carrots
250g risotto rice
180g frozen peas
100ml manzanilla or fino
1 litre stock
For the rub
2 tsp cumin seeds
2 tsp allspice berries
2 tsp coriander seeds
1½ tsp turmeric
1 tsp dried Mexican oregano, or 2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
½ head garlic
Salt and black pepper
To serve
1 handful each fresh dill and parsley
1 lemon, cut into wedges
Take the chicken out of the fridge and bring to room temperature. To make the rub, heat a small frying pan on a medium heat, then gently toast the cumin, allspice and coriander seeds for a minute or two, until aromatic. Tip into a mortar, add the turmeric, oregano (or thyme), two peeled garlic cloves, a teaspoon of salt and lots of freshly ground black pepper, then bash to a paste. Muddle in three tablespoons of olive oil to loosen, then rub half the spice mix all over the pieces of chicken.
Put a large paella or large frying pan on a high heat and, once hot, add two tablespoons of oil. Turn down the heat to medium-high, then brown the chicken pieces all over – they don’t need to be cooked through. Set the chicken aside while you peel and dice the onion and carrots.
Pour three more tablespoons of oil into the pan, add the diced vegetables and the remaining spice mix, and cook on a medium heat, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Peel and finely chop three more garlic cloves, stir into the onion mix and cook for another four to five minutes, until the onions are translucent and everything is smelling fragrant.
Stir the rice and peas into the onions and fat, season generously, then stir in half the sherry. Simmer until the liquid has evaporated, then pour in the stock, cover with foil and leave to cook for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, take the skin off the chicken pieces, and crisp it up in a small frying pan.
When the 25 minutes are up, take the foil off the rice and peas and, without stirring, sprinkle over the remaining sherry. Lay the chicken pieces on top, pour in any resting juices, then cover again and cook for about 10 minutes more, until the rice is al dente, all the stock has been absorbed, and the chicken is cooked through.
Take off the foil lid, squeeze over some lemon and check the seasoning. Serve at the table decorated with the herbs, lemon wedges and dollops of the habanero allioli (see below), and crumble the crisp chicken skin on top.
Habanero allioli
Prep 10 min
Cook 10 min
Serves 4-6
1 dried habanero chilli
1 egg and 1 egg yolk
2 garlic cloves
1 tsp dijon mustard
Juice and finely grated zest of 1 lemon, plus a little extra juice to finish
1½ tbsp cider vinegar
100ml vegetable oil
100ml extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
Put the chilli in a cup, cover with boiling water, weigh down with a heavy object and leave to hydrate for five minutes.
Meanwhile, put the whole egg and egg yolk in a tall jug with the garlic, mustard, lemon juice and zest, and vinegar. Drain the chilli, put it in the jug, then blitz the lot with a stick blender until smooth.
With the motor still going, slowly pour in the vegetable oil in a thin, steady stream, and keep blitzing until the mix emulsifies. Repeat with the olive oil, then taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and lemon juice.
