Hot Chicken Stew with Bacon

I like braising chicken breast because this is the way they get soft and full of flavour. 

Why I love this dish? It is very spicy. It is low in fat, but very tasty - the taste is so hot, that it bursts your digestion. 

The hot taste comes from the banana peppers, which are moderately spicy and very flavorful type of pepper with much softer skin than the one of the other hot peppers-family members. 

Ingredients:

·         4 boneless skinless chicken breasts, halved and cut into bite-size pieces

·         100 g smoked bacon, chopped

·         3 Tbsp olive oil

·         8 banana peppers, deseeded and finely sliced

·         1 middle onion, chopped

·         3 whole garlic heads, unpeeled, halved horizontally

·         600 g tomatoes passata

·         1 tsp salt

·         2 sprig thyme

·         1/6 tsp hot Spanish smoked paprika

·         100 ml dry white wine

·         1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

·         freshly ground black pepper

Preparation:

Heat oil in a skillet or sauté pan over high heat and add bacon and chicken pieces. 

Cover with lid to avoid splattering and sear all over until golden in colour (about 10 minutes). 

Season chicken with salt and pepper, transfer to a plate and set aside. 

Reduce the heat a little and add the onion, garlic and peppers and sweat for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until they start to soften. 

Return the chicken breasts to the pan and add the smoked paprika, thyme and white wine.

After additional 2-3 minutes add tomatoes and reduce heat. Cover the pan and simmer for 30 minutes. Discard thyme sprigs and serve hot with mashed potatoes, boiled rice or just with a thick slice of bread.