Pollo in umido con spinaci, pinoli e uvetta - Chicken Stew with spinach, pine nuts and sultanas

Spinach is a popular ingredient in the Milanese cuisine. It is usually served as a side dish, either just boiled and dressed with oil and lemon, or sautéed, preferably in butter, and sometimes combined with sultanas and pine nuts.

Here in my recipe, I serve pine nut and sultana spinach with braised chicken as a main course, and I dress my dish with saffron and lemon. It is a new combination of traditional ingredients from my hometown kitchen.

I like to use the fresh spinach I find in the vegetable market. However, the frozen ones work as well. Do not go for the fresh baby spinach, which have no texture.

All recipes have small tricks, which help to improve the final result. One is to sauté the pine nuts in a pan, without any grease, until golden all around. In this way, they release their full flavour. 

Another trick for a better flavour and texture is to cook the spinach separately and add it to the chicken almost at the end.

Last but not least: I sauté the chicken at first to make it crispy and seal the meat. Then I add it to the onion and cook it on very low heat for at least 1 hour.

Pollo in umido con spinaci, pinoli e uvetta
Chicken Stew with Spinach, Pine nuts and Sultanas

8 chicken thighs, on the bone, skin on
Flour to coat the chicken

2 medium onions, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, crushed
100 ml good-quality chicken stock
1 teaspoon saffron strands, ground
800 g spinach, stems removed and leaves roughly chopped

Knob of butter
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
20 g sultanas
20 g pine nuts
Sea salt and black pepper
Extra virgin oil

Serves 4, as a main course
Preparation time: 15 minutes
Cooking time: 75 minutes
1. In a small bowl, soak the sultanas in hot water for 10 minutes. Drain and pat dry with kitchen paper.

2. Coat the chicken thighs with flour.

3. In a large casserole pot, heat 2 tablespoons of oil and sauté the thighs on high heat on both sides until golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes each side. Remove from the pan and set aside.

4. In the same pan, sauté the onions with a pinch of salt on medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add garlic and sauté for another minute.

5. Return the chicken to the casserole, lower the heat and add the stock. Season with salt and pepper. Cover with a lid and leave to simmer for 1 hour,  turning the thighs once.

6. Meanwhile,  in a frying pan, heat 1 tablespoon of oil with the butter. 

7. Wash the spinach through and add to the pan. Cook for few minutes until wilted and dry. Season with salt.

8. In a small pan, sauté the pine nuts stirring around until golden. Remove from the pan and add to the spinach along with the sultanas. 

9. Dissolve the saffron in 1 tablespoon of hot water. Add it to the chicken and stir in the spinach along with the lemon juice and zest. Place the lid on and cook on low heat for another 10 minutes.

10. Serve with boiled rice, if you wish.