Pollo al Ajillo (Crispy Chicken Thighs with Garlic and Sherry)

Ingredients

• 8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 10 clove garlic cloves
• 100 ml dry sherry
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 fresh rosemary sprigs
• 1 tsp sweet smoked paprika
• 1 tsp sea salt
• 15 g fresh flat-leaf parsley

Method

1. 1

   Season the chicken thighs generously with salt, pepper, and smoked paprika. Crush half the garlic cloves with their skins on.

2. 2

   Heat the olive oil in a large, wide ovenproof frying pan over medium-high heat. Place the chicken thighs skin-side down and cook without moving for 8–10 minutes until the skin is deeply golden and crisp.

3. 3

   Flip the thighs and add the crushed garlic, whole unpeeled garlic cloves, and rosemary sprigs to the pan. Cook for 3 minutes.

4. 4

   Pour in the dry sherry — it will sizzle dramatically. Transfer the pan to an oven preheated to 200°C/180°C fan and roast for 20 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.

5. 5

   Remove from the oven and scatter with chopped parsley. Serve straight from the pan with bread to mop up the garlicky sherry juices.