A classic Sephardi dish of golden chicken and melt-in-your-mouth potatoes—slow-cooked in tradition and rich with flavour.

Sofrito is a dish found in nearly every Sephardi family, with each household claiming its own unique version. Traditionally, it involves slow-cooking meat—whether chicken, lamb, or beef—in its own juices. Towards the end of the cooking time, lightly fried potatoes are added and finish cooking in the deeply flavourful sauce.

You may recognise this chicken as similar to the ubiquitous Israeli “kibbutz chicken,” often found sitting in a pool of paprika-coloured oil. Sofrito is quite possibly its origin story—what I affectionately call the elevated version.

My family has both a chicken and meatball version of Sofrito, while others may favour lamb. But the cooking method remains the same: slow, gentle, and rewarding—resulting in fall-apart meat and tender, golden potatoes.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil
• 1 small free-range chicken (about 1.5kg), butterflied or quartered
• 2 teaspoons of sweet paprika
• 1 teaspoon of turmeric
• Salt and black pepper, to taste
• 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
• Sunflower oil, for frying
• 10 garlic cloves, peeled
• 700g (1 ½ lbs) of potatoes, peeled, washed, patted dry, and cut into 2cm dice

METHOD:

1. Sear the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of sunflower oil in a Dutch oven or casserole dish with a tight-fitting lid over high heat. Season the chicken all over with paprika, turmeric, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken skin-side down in the pot and sear for 4–5 minutes until golden brown.
2. Begin the braise: Turn the chicken over, add the quartered onion to the pot, and cover with a lid. Reduce the heat to low and cook gently for 30 minutes, checking occasionally. There should always be about 5mm (¼ inch) of liquid in the bottom—add a splash of water if it gets too dry.
3. Fry the potatoes and garlic: Meanwhile, in a medium deep-sided saucepan, heat sunflower oil to about 3cm (1½ inches) deep. Once hot, fry the garlic cloves and potato cubes in batches for about 6 minutes, or until lightly golden. Transfer with a slotted spoon to a paper towel–lined dish, sprinkle with salt, and continue until all are fried.
4. Combine and finish cooking: After the chicken has cooked for 1 hour, lift it gently from the pot and set aside. Stir the fried potatoes and garlic into the chicken juices in the pot. Return the chicken on top of the potatoes. Cover and cook for a further 30 minutes. The chicken should be tender and falling off the bone, and the potatoes soft and deeply infused with flavour.

MAKE AHEAD:

Chicken Sofrito can be prepared up to 3 days in advance. Cool completely, then store in an airtight container in the fridge. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the oven until warmed through before serving. 9