We’ve have been lucky enough to have been offered the chance to stay overnight with a grandmother we’re cooking with on a few occasions. Such was the case with Clara Maria, who kindly offered to host us for a weekend at her beautiful home on the outskirts of Madrid. Upon arrival, we were sat out in the garden to wait for Clara Maria, with an aperitif of beers and olives.
Soon enough she emerged from the house, a lady of such grace and class that we barely noticed the cane she needed to support her weight as she moved towards us in greeting. She sat herself down ever so slowly and cracked open a beer. From this moment, we knew we’d all get along.
We spent a weekend tirelessly listening to Clara Maria. We did have the option to head out and explore Madrid but chose instead to spend most of our time curled up on her couch near a roaring fire, absorbing stories of her times as part of the culinary set of the 1950s with Elizabeth David and Julia Childs. Soaking up her views on life. Letting her positivity, her belief in following instincts, sink into our very own philosophies. All between exquisite dishes that exemplified the elegance and finesse that Clara Maria herself embodies.
Feeds 4
Takes 50 minutes, plus chilling overnight
Ingredients
100ml olive oil
500g skin-on chicken: thighs, legs or breasts (whatever your prefer)
1 onion, sliced into 3mm half-moons
½ bulb garlic, cloves peeled and roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and sliced in 2mm rounds
125ml good- quality sherry vinegar
400ml chicken stock
1 tsp black peppercorns
4 cloves
2 fresh bay leaves
2 sprigs of fresh thyme
Method
Heat 100ml the olive oil in a non-stick sauté pan.
When the oil is hot, fry the chicken skin-down in the oil until browned (around 8–-12 minutes), then fry the underside for 2 minutes. Remove and set aside.
Add the onion, garlic and, carrot to the oil and fry on a medium heat for 10 minutes, or until soft but not browned.
Return the chicken to the pan and add the vinegar and chicken stock to cover the meat. Add the peppercorns, cloves, bay leaves and thyme and simmer for 20 minutes with the lid on.
Keep in the pan or move to an earthenware or ceramic dish, ensuring the meat is covered with the juices. Allow to cool, cover and then put in the fridge.
Refrigerate overnight and eat the next day – the flavour of the pickling liquid will mellow and the meat will tenderise. Escabeche lasts for up to a week, and the taste of the sherry vinegar softens more over time.
Serve hot or cold alongside buttery boiled new potatoes or crusty bread and pickles.
