ESCABECHE DE POLLO - SPANISH CHICKEN
⏲ Prep time ⏲ Cooking time Difficulty level Portions
15 min Cook time: 55 min ★★★☆☆ 6
Resting time: ideally 4 -12 hours for flavor
Ingredients
Chicken & aromatics
• Chicken thighs, bone‑in, skin‑on — 1,200 g (6 medium thighs)
• Olive oil — 80 g
• Garlic cloves, whole and lightly crushed — 25 g
• Onion, sliced — 200 g
• Carrot, sliced — 150 g
• Bay leaves — 3 g (3–4 leaves)
• Black peppercorns — 3 g
• Sweet smoked paprika — 6 g
• Fine salt — 12 g
Escabeche liquid
• White wine vinegar — 120 g
• White wine — 120 g
• Water or light stock — 250 g
• Lemon zest strips — 4 g
• Lemon juice — 20 g
• Sugar — 6 g (balances acidity)
Optional finish
• Fresh parsley — 6 g
• Extra olive oil — 10 g
Cooking instructions
1. Brown the chicken
Season chicken with salt.
Heat olive oil in a wide pot.
Brown chicken on both sides until golden (8–10 minutes). Remove and set aside.
2. Build the escabeche base
In the same oil, add garlic, onion, and carrot.
Cook 5–6 minutes until lightly softened.
Add bay leaves, peppercorns, and paprika; stir 30 seconds.
Add vinegar, wine, water/stock, lemon zest, lemon juice, and sugar.
3. Simmer
Return chicken to the pot.
Simmer gently 30–35 minutes, partially covered, until tender.
Taste and adjust acidity or salt.
4. Rest (important)
Let the chicken cool in its escabeche liquid.
Refrigerate several hours or overnight for deeper flavour.
Serve warm or at room temperature with some of the aromatic broth.
Chef ’s Notes
• Resting is essential: escabeche is traditionally eaten after the flavours have settled.
• Use good vinegar: a smooth white wine vinegar gives brightness without harshness.
• Paprika blooms in oil — don’t add it directly to liquid or it stays raw.
• Serve with roasted potatoes, crusty bread, or a simple green salad.
• Keeps beautifully for 2–3 days; the flavour improves as it sits.
• Variations: add a pinch of cumin for a southern Spanish touch, or swap lemon for orange zest for a softer citrus profile.
