Greek cuisine · Soups & Stews

Kotopoulo Kokkinisto

Chicken pieces slowly braised in thick tomato sauce with a cinnamon stick and bay leaf, until the meat falls off the bone.

Ingredients · for 4 servings

• 1 chicken, cut into pieces
• 2 onions
• 3 garlic cloves
• 500 g passata
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 cinnamon stick
• 2 bay leaves
• 100 ml red wine
• 5 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tsp sugar
• Salt, pepper

Instructions

1. Pat the chicken pieces dry, salt and pepper them well, finely dice the onions and slice the garlic.
2. Heat olive oil in a heavy braising pot and brown the chicken pieces in batches 4–5 min. per side until golden, then remove.
3. Sauté the onions in the fat 6 min. until soft, add garlic and tomato paste and fry 1 min., until the paste darkens.
4. Deglaze with the red wine, scrape up the browned bits from the bottom and let reduce 2 min., then add the passata, cinnamon stick, bay leaves, sugar and 150 ml water.
5. Return the chicken pieces, cover and braise over low heat 35–40 min., turning once, until the meat comes away easily from the bone.
6. Remove the cinnamon stick and bay leaves, reduce the sauce uncovered 5 min. if needed and serve hot with rice or pasta.