Chicken with spinach & peas is inspired by a classic Ligurian dish, seppie in zimino. In Liguria cuttlefish (seppie), salt cod and chickpeas are often cooked ‘in zimino’, meaning braised with spinach or silver beet and sometimes tomato. So I thought why not pollo in zimino? Zimino comes from the Arabic word ‘semin’, meaning ‘rich sauce’, and the spinach in this dish is meant to be cooked until it breaks down to form part of the rich braising liquid. The green peas are my addition inspired by another traditional Ligurian braise, seppie e piselli (cuttlefish and peas), so leave them out if you prefer. I often add peas to my ceci in zimino to create a delicious vegetarian version of this recipe. Serve with plenty of focaccia to dunk into the sauce. Focaccia is an excellent accompaniment for dunking into the rich sauce (see video below).
Serves 2
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