It’s a cool and wet Saturday here in the PNW. It calls for a nice hearty chicken dish that can keep me warmed but not bog me down.

Enter Kotopoulo Yiahni, a Greek braised dish cooked in tomato and onions. Spiced with a touch of cinnamon, it has a nice warmth for this cool day. It also makes the house smell amazing.

Widely made in Greece, his recipe comes from something very similar my mom would make.

I had a chicken craving and this sounded like a good idea. In fact, you can substitute other items in this basic recipe and have fabulous results. You can make it with pork, beef, lamb, or just potatoes if going meatless. It’s pretty basic stuff. This chicken one is quite popular in Greek households.

This creates a super savory meal. The dish has some crispy skin to savor. And fantastic sauce to mop up with the chicken.

Here’s the recipe.

KOTOPOULO YIAHNI

MAKES 4 SERVINGS

• 4 chicken pieces (I use thighs since I like them)
• 1 onion chopped
• 2 garlic cloves finely chopped
• 4 full size tomatoes chopped (or a 15 oz can of crushed tomatoes)
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• pinch of oregano
• 1/2 cup water or broth (boiling)
• salt & pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• parsley, chopped fine

1. Preheat over to 350 degrees (180 Celsius).
2. In a large pan or pot, heat olive oil up on med high heat. Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add chicken once oil is hot and brown on both sides. Remove chicken and set on platter.
3. Add chopped onions. Cook until translucent. This will take 5 minutes or so. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.
4. Add tomato, cinnamon, oregano, and bay leaves. Cook until all heated through.
5. Mix tomato paste into the broth and bring to a boil.
6. Return chicken to the pan. Add boiling broth. Make sure it is at a good simmer. Stick it in the oven and cook for 45 minutes to an hour. Thighs are forgiving so cook until you get the consistency you like in the sauce. Alternately, you can cook it on a low simmer it on the stove for about 45 minutes. My mom did it that way. Since that takes more careful looking after, I prefer the oven method. Either way comes out the same.
7. Once done, garnish with some chopped parsley and serve.

I served it with some rice to soak up the sauce. I personally skip the rice, but my family likes that.

A variation of this would be with chunks of chuck beef and green beans. Or lamb. If you are going meatless, try making it with cauliflower.

OPA!