Pollo al Ajillo

Name: Pollo al Ajillo
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 40 min
Yield: 4 to 6 servings
Cuisine: Spanish Menu
Ingredients: Whole Chicken — 1 large; New Potatoes — 500 g; Extra Virgin Olive Oil — To fry; Fresh Thyme — To taste; Fresh Rosemary — To taste; Bay Leaves — To taste; Garlic — 1 head; White Wine — 150 ml; Salt — To taste; Black Pepper — To taste

This rustic, traditional Spanish garlic chicken, or pollo al ajillo, features succulent, golden-fried chicken pieces infused with the aromatic depth of whole garlic cloves, bay leaves, rosemary, and fresh thyme. Finished with a splash of white wine and tender, sautéed new potatoes, this flavourful, old-fashioned meal brings the simple yet robust essence of home-style Spanish cooking directly to your kitchen for a deeply satisfying family dinner.

Cuisines

Cooking Instructions

Preparation: 15 minutes
Cooking: 40 minutes

Servings: 4 to 6

Notes:

While a whole chicken is traditionally used and butchered into manageable pieces, feel free to use your favourite chicken cuts or even small, tender poussin if preferred.

The chicken bones, wings, and carcass should never go to waste; simmer them with water, carrot, onion, and garlic to create a simple, nutrient-dense stock that can be used to enrich future sauces.

When boiling the new potatoes, be mindful of size variations; add smaller potatoes to the boiling water slightly later than the larger ones to ensure they all reach the perfect level of tenderness simultaneously.

Deglazing the pan with white wine after searing the chicken is crucial; it lifts all the flavourful, caramelised bits from the bottom of the pan and creates the base for the aromatic sauce.

For a more abundant sauce, you can incorporate a splash of your homemade chicken stock along with the white wine, allowing it to reduce in the oven alongside the chicken for a more intense flavour.

Prepare Chicken
Butcher the whole chicken into ten manageable pieces by separating the thighs, drumsticks, and cutting the breasts into portions, removing any wing tips for stock.

Sear
Heat extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan or sauté pan over high heat, season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and fry until the skin is beautifully golden and crispy.

Cook Potatoes
Boil the new potatoes in water until almost tender, then drain and add them to the pan with the chicken, along with the whole garlic head, bay leaves, fresh rosemary, and thyme.

Deglaze and Roast
Pour in the white wine, give the pan a good shake to deglaze, and transfer the pan to the oven for the final 10 minutes to roast until the potatoes are golden and flavours are infused.

Serve
Remove from the oven, ensure the chicken is cooked through, and serve directly from the pan for a rustic, traditional presentation.