KOTOPOULO ME HILOPITES

Kotopoulo me hilopites is a comforting Greek dish of tender chicken simmered in a savoury, often a spiced heavy red sauce and served with hilopites, a small, square or diamond shaped egg pasta or orzo that soak up the flavours. The chicken is be browned first and then slowly cooked with tomatoes, onions and herbs, producing a hearty, homey meal that's a staple at family tables. While versions of chicken with pasta are found across Greece, kotopoulo me hilopites is especially associated with mainland regions like Macedonia and Thessaly, as well as rural households throughout the Peloponnese (where my family is from), where hilopites are traditionally made by hand and family recipes vary from village to village.

For a homemade hilopites recipe check out my families recipe of hilopites here.

KOTOPOULO ME HILOPITES

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KOTOPOULO ME HILOPITES 〰️

(RED SAUCE CHICKEN & PASTA)

Time: 1 hour + 20 minutes

Serves: 4

4 pieces dark chicken (2 thighs, 2 drumsticks)

1 large brown onion, finely diced

1 tbl sp dried oregano

1 tbl sp dried thyme

1 tbl sp all spice

1/2 tbl sp cinnamon

1 cup red wine

700gm passta

2 fresh bay leaves

6 whole garlic cloves, chopped in half

Shit parmasen

Choice of pasta (I use the greek pasta hilopites)

Salt, to taste

Olive oil

Begin with placing heavy pot on high heat with enough oil to give a layer. Once smoking with heat, safely brown your chicken pieces on skin side (around 4 minutes) until deeply charred. Remove and place to side.

Turn down heat to low and add onion and stir to help sweat. Sweat for 10 minutes, adding cold water if you need. Then add oregano, thyme, all spice and cinnamon and cook out for a minute. Add your red wine and turn heat to med-high. Cook your red wine until its almost all gone. Add passata in with around 200ml water. Add in garlic, bay leaves and your browned chicken. Season with salt to taste and bring to high boil.

Cook with lid on for 40 minutes covered and then 15 minutes uncovered, always with a gentle bubble (so low-medium heat). Once cooked, season with salt, spoon onto your pasta and finish with loads of shit parmesan.