Mar i Muntanya Recipe (Catalan Chicken and Shrimp)

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5 from 1 vote

Mar i Muntanya Recipe (Catalan Chicken and Shrimp)

This Catalan mar i muntanya recipe is a delicious dish of braised chicken and shrimp with an almond sauce.

Prep Time20

Cook Time2

Total Time2 20

Course: Main

Cuisine: Spanish

Servings: servings

Calories: 651.42kcal

Author: Lauren Aloise

Ingredients

A 3 pound free range chicken skin off (except for the wings)
12 whole shrimp/prawns uncooked
4 langoustines optional, uncooked
2 large tomatoes grated
2 sweet onions diced
⅓ cup of brandy
2 slices of hearty baguette bread toasted
20 raw almonds peeled
5 garlic cloves
Salt and pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
About 10 cups chicken stock see below

Chicken stock (will make about 10 cups)

1 carrot
1 onion
1 leek
2 garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
1 bunch of fresh parsley

Instructions

Cut the chicken into eight serving pieces (or get your butcher to do this)
If you are making the chicken stock from scratch (you should!) use only the carcass and the wings for the broth. Reserve the lean meat for the main dish.
Add the carcass and wings to 3 liters of cold water and add the stock vegetables. Bring to a boil and then lower to a simmer for about an hour and a half.
To start to make the Catalan picada (which you'll add to the sauce at the end of the recipe) heat about 6 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil and lightly fry the almonds and whole garlic cloves (skin on)
Once the almonds and garlic are golden brown, reserve them in a small bowl along with the toasted slices of bread
Cover the raw chicken in salt and pepper and add to the same oil, browning the chicken on each side (but not cooking through)
Once each part of the chicken has been browned, removed and reserved, add the diced onion to the oil and allow to slowly brown
Grate the tomato (everything except the skin) and reserve the pulp in a bowl
By now the stock should be finished, strain it and adjust it for salt
Once the onions are browned, add the brandy and reduce for about a minute
Add the grated tomato pulp and fry the tomato and onion mixture on low for about 20 minutes until nice and thick (but not dry!)
To finish the picada mix, add the almonds, garlic and pinch of salt to a food processor (you could also use a mortar and pestle but it's a lot of work!)
Pulse a few times until a paste starts to form and then add the toasted bread ¼ piece at a time, reserve this mixture
Deglaze the tomato and onion mixture with some of the chicken stock
Transfer the mixture into a large pan and add back the browned chicken. Cover the chicken with the rest of the stock. If there is still chicken exposed, cover with water or fish bouillon
Simmer the chicken and broth mixture uncovered at a low heat for about an hour
In the last 15 minutes add in the picada mixture (almonds, garlic and bread paste)
Place the pieces of chicken onto a serving plate and if the sauce is too thin, turn up the heat for about 10 minutes so that some evaporates
While cooking down the sauce, add in the shrimp and langoustines for a couple of minutes (until just cooked), take them out and put on the serving dish along with the chicken
Taste the sauce and add salt and pepper as needed
Spoon the sauce over the chicken and shrimp in the serving plate
Serve alongside friend or boiled potatoes

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