Pollastre amb Bolets

Pollastre amb bolets translates from Catalan as "chicken with mushrooms". It is a traditional Catalan comfort food featuring chicken slowly cooked in a casserole with local wild mushrooms, garlic, herbs, and a splash of wine or/and brandy.
A picada, often referred to as the "Catalan pesto," is a traditional Catalan paste of crushed toasted nuts (almonds and hazelnuts are standard), garlic, and a little olive oil with other possible additions like bread, saffron, chocolate, parsley, etc., used to thicken and flavour the sauce without relying on heavy cream or flour.

adapted from Sainsbury Magazine

	Picada Paste
8 Small chicken thighs (bone in skin on) Sea salt and freshly milled black pepper 3-4 tbsp Olive oil 2-4 Rosemary sprigs 3 Bay leaves 50 ml White wine (I used unoaked Chardonnay) 50 ml Spanish brandy (I used Osborne Veterano Reserva) 200 ml Chicken stock or water 3 tbsp Sherry vinegar 2 Garlic cloves, unpeeled and bashed 400 g Brown mushrooms, cleaned, trimmed and sliced	20 Blanched hazelnuts (or almonds or both) 3 Garlic cloves, peeled Sea salt 1 tbsp Olive oil

For the picada, toast the nuts on a baking tray at 180C/350F for 7 minutes, or until golden. Alternatively, toast them in a small pan for 5-7 minutes. Using a pestle and mortar, crush the garlic with a pinch of sea salt, then add the hazelnuts and continue to pound, adding the olive oil, until you have a paste.
Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a large lidded casserole. Put in the chicken thighs in batches and brown on all sides for about 10 minutes. Once all browned, add back to the pan. Add the herbs, wine, brandy, Sherry vinegar and stock or water and bubble up, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then turn down the heat, cover, and cook slowly for 10-15 minutes, turning the pieces of chicken from time to time to prevent them drying out on one side.
Meanwhile, bash the garlic cloves with the back of a knife to crack them. Heat another tablespoon of olive oil in a separate large pan, put in the garlic and fry for a minute before adding the mushrooms. Cook briefly until coloured, then take off the heat and keep to one side.
When all the mushrooms are cooked, discard the garlic and add the mushrooms to the chicken, then add the picada and stir well. Taste and season. Allow to simmer, uncovered, over a low heat for a further 10 minutes while the chicken cooks through and the sauce has thickened.
Remove the herbs, then garnish with fresh rosemary if desired, abd serve with crusty bread, roasted potatoes or egg noodles.