SPANISH SAFFRON CHICKEN BY ELODIA

Time and time again i state i love recieving recipes with pics from my followers. Elodia is a spanish follower of mine who loves desi food and tries my recipes. She sent me this lovely chicken recipe which she made with my spanish saffron. The recipe is simple and does contain some wine and brandy. My halaal followers can please subsitute it with chicken stock or water.
This is a very simple recipe with few ingredients and easy to make
1 chicken , cut into 8 pieces preferably with the skin on
1/4 cup of olive oil or less, the sauce is the oil
1 large spanish onion, chopped lengthwise
4-6 bay leaves
1 whole head of garlic (just remove the white papery skin and leave it whole)
salt to taste
1/2 teaspoon of hot or mild paprika
2 tablespoons of brandy (optional)
2 grated tomatoes
1/2 cup of white wine(optional) or use chicken stock
1 pinch of Nitu Didi Pure Spanish saffron ( yes she used my saffron)


METHOD:
Heat the olive oil in a pan and add the chicken pieces and seal the chicken pieces on high heat. Add salt and let them brown on both sides. Once they are browned remove and keep warm. In the same oil add the sliced onions and sautee till transparent. Add the bay leaves and add the chicken pieces. Cover and let the chicken pieces take in the aroma of the bay leaves  for about 30 seconds. Add the paprika, the saffron and the chopped tomatoes. Cook till the tomatoes are all mushy. Add the whole garlic head and  add the wine and the brandy and cook uncovered till it all evaporates. My halaal followers can use chicken stock or water. Once the wine and brandy have evaporated check if the chicken is tender. How do you check it? Prick it with a knife and if the juices run clear means the chicken is done. If its not done add some stock/water and cook till its done. Serve hot with french baguette.
This is a typical spanish way of cooking chicken and its quite delicious. The Spanish use saffron in their rice, their stews etc.
Thank you soo much Elodia for this wonderful recipe and lovely pic!!
Health benefits of saffron:

• This novel spice is a good source of minerals like copper, potassium, calcium, manganese, iron, selenium, zinc and magnesium. Potassium is an important component of cell and body fluids that helps control heart rate and blood pressure. Manganese and copper are used by the body as co-factors for the antioxidant enzyme, superoxide dismutase. Iron is essential for red blood cell production and as a co-factor for cytochrome oxidases enzymes.
• It is also rich in many vital vitamins including vitamin A, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, vitamin-C that are essential for optimum health.
• The active components present in saffron have many therapeutic applications in many traditional medicines since long time ago as anti-spasmodic, carminative, diaphoretic.
• Research studies have shown that, safranal, a volatile oil found in the spice, has antioxidant, cytotoxicity towards cancer cells, anticonvulsant and antidepressant properties.

Αlfa-crocin, a carotenoid compound, which gives the spice its characteristic golden yellow color, has anti-oxidant, anti-depressant, and anti-cancer properties.

Source:http://nitudidi.com/2012/07/28/spanish-saffron-chicken-by-elodia/