Groundwork Mourvedre with Chicken in Tomato Sauce

Groundwork Mourvedre with Chicken in Tomato Sauce

Mourvedre is a varietal that doesn't often come to mind when thinking of California. However, over in the Rhone Valley, it is one of the major varieties. It is often blended with Syrah and other varieties. It is a very charming red wine with profound aromas of its own. It is not too heavy and can accompany a variety of dishes, so it's the perfect choice with stewed dishes where the quality of the ingredients show through. This dish is a simple chicken stew with tomatoes, using chicken thighs and onions. For the red wine ingredient, you can use Groundwork Mourvedre. This dish does well made in advance allowing for the flavors to deepen over a bit of time. That being said, any leftovers are great too.

(Serves 2 / Cooking time: 30 minutes)

Ingredients
1 chicken thigh (about 300g)
1 onion
1 clove garlic
(A) can of whole tomatoes (400g / crushed)
(A)  slice of bay leaf
(A)  1 teaspoon tomato ketchup
(A)  1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
(A)  1/4 teaspoon salt
3 Tbsp red wine
1 Tbsp olive oil
salt and black pepper
1-2 Tbsp sliced black olives
parsley, finely chopped

Instructions
Remove excess fat from chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces, sprinkle with salt and black pepper. Cut the onion into wedges and mince the garlic.

Heat the olive oil in a pan over medium-low heat and saute the onions until softened. Add the chicken and garlic and saute further.

Add the red wine and 3 tablespoons of water.  Return to a simmer and add part (A). Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes, then uncover and simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and black pepper, place in a bowl, top with black olives and sprinkle with parsley.

Tips
A crusty baguette is a perfect accompaniment to this dish.