Pollo en pepitoria (chicken in almond sauce)

This braised chicken dish is Spanish classic, dating back centuries. The use of almonds for thickening and saffron point to Moorish influences. This one of my wife's favorites, a dish her mother often made. There are many variants, some include spices such as cinnamon or clove (another indication of North African influences). Here we'll stick to the basics: braised chicken cooked in a creamy sauce thickened with a "picada" made with saffron, almonds, egg yokes & breadcrumbs.

Ingredients

• 4 skin on, bone in chicken thighs
• 1 small onion (diced)
• 12 almonds (raw)
• 2 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 or 2 cloves garlic (minced)
• Olive oil (1/4 cup)
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (or sherry)
• 1 cup chicken stock
• 2 hard boiled eggs (separate yokes, dice the whites.)
• 3-6 threads saffron
• Salt & pepper

Preparation

• Salt & pepper the chicken
• Heat olive oil in a medium-sized frying pan on medium high, brown the chicken well on both sides, set aside
• While the chicken is browning, make the "picada": toast the almonds in a dry pan (careful not to burn) add the saffron and toast for a few seconds more. Grind the almonds, egg yokes, saffron & breadcrumbs with a little olive oil in a mortar or mini-processor.
• Poach the diced onion in the same oil until transparent, add a pinch of salt, garlic and the wine, cook for a minute or so to burn off the alcohol, add chicken stock, stir in the "picada", add the chicken and simmer for about 30 minutes until the meat is cooked through. If it starts to get too dry, add a little stock of water. The sauce should be creamy, not watery.
• Finally, puree the sauce with a stick blender or food processor. Strain if you want it super smooth, I didn't.
• Serve hot with plenty of sauce (it's delicious), top with chopped egg whites and a side of rice. Leftovers can be frozen.

Note:
1. Some use the entire egg for the "picada", no problem.
2. Extra spices are a possibility: cinnamon, nutmeg or clove.
3. If there's no saffron around, tumeric is a good alternative.

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