Chicken in Salsa [Sauce]

Finally got back to actual cooking after the vacation. Typical of the region of Rioja. Simple, but with a couple of touches that make it special.

Pollo en Salsa [Chicken in Sauce]

Serves: 3

Ingredients

• 3 chicken thighs (or 4 even; or 6, no big deal)
  
• ½ C olive oil (virgin) (maybe more)
  
• 1 onion, fine brunoise [dice]
  
• 1 leek, fine brunoise
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 pinch saffron
• 1 T parsley, fresh
• 2 T bread crumbs (or 1 slice stale bread, without crust)
• 2 C dry white wine (a box is fine)
• Bouquet garnis (spice bundle)
• Thyme (dried, from my thyme bush)
  
• Laurel (dried, my laurel tree)
  
• Parsley (fresh, the pot on the back porch)
  
• ½ C water (more or less)
  

Procedure

1. Oil into a pan & brown the chicken very well (it won't get any browner later so this is your only chance to get the color right)
2. Take out the chicken
   
3. Put in the onions and leeks (in the am oil), brown these - probably on lower heat than the chicken though (10 minutes or so)
   
4. Remove onions & leeks (I sieve them - save oil for the garlic)
• Put into a large mortar (or use a stick mixer)
• Smash it up
  
5. Fry the garlic, brown
   
• Add to mortar
6. Add parsley, saffron and bread crumbs to mortar
• Smoosh it up
  
7. Chicken goes back in the pan (skin side down)
   
• When you hear it frying again...
8. Sprinkle with one cup of white wine
9. Add in the mess from the mortar & stir around
10. Add the spice bundle
11. Bring to a boil
12. Sprinkle another cup of wine
13. Add water to half way up the chicken pieces
14. Cook for 25 minutes, simmering vigorously, unncovered
• Turn over half way along
  
15. Remove chicken to a (hot) serving plate; toss the bouquet garnis out
16. Reduce the sauce, if you have to, if it's watery
17. Sieve the sauce over the chicken; pushing it through the sieve with the back of a spoon
18. Keep the veggies remaining in the sieve and serve as a sort of (very tasty) garnish next to the chicken
19. Dash some parsley leaves over the whole thing
    

Notes

1. Olive oil is good for you; don't be afraid to use it as a food (avoid butter, and really realy avoid margarine - - and let's not talk about vegetable oil)
2. Using a mortar crushes the onions and leeks better and probably releases more flavour than zipping them with a stick mixer (which chops/cuts them)
   
3. You can make a spice bundle or use a spice bag for the bouquet
   
4. The chicken is done when the juices don't run pink when you poke the meat with a skewer
5. If doing more than 3 pieces use some more oil
6. Bread crumbs are the thickener for the sauce, don't skimp
7. Special touches included
1. The saffron
2. Using the residual muck, left after sieving the sauce, as a garnish