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1
Sear the chicken in the centre of the disc
10 Mins
High heat, disc surface about 220°C (425°F)
Heat the disc (or a very wide, heavy pan) over a strong fire or high heat until it is smoking hot. Add half the olive oil and lay the chicken pieces in the centre, skin side down, in a single layer. Sear for 5 minutes without moving them, then turn and sear the other side for 5 minutes until deeply golden. Lift the chicken out and set it aside on a plate.
Do not move the chicken while it sears — it releases on its own once the skin is browned, and moving it tears the skin.
Done when: Skin deeply golden and crisp on both sides; chicken not yet cooked through.
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2
Soften the peppers and onions at the edges
8 Mins
Medium-high heat, about 190°C (375°F)
Lower the heat a little and add the remaining oil to the disc. Add the peppers, onions and sliced garlic, pushing them to the outer ring of the disc where it is cooler. Cook for 8 minutes, stirring now and then, until the peppers soften and the onions turn translucent and sweet.
Use the disc's shape: the centre is hottest for searing, the edges are cooler for softening vegetables — that is the whole trick of cooking al disco.
Done when: Peppers soft and glossy, onions translucent.
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3
Deglaze with wine and tomatoes
5 Mins
Medium-high heat, wine simmering
Add the tomato wedges and the oregano, then pour in the white wine all at once. It will hiss and steam — scrape the bottom of the disc with a wooden spoon to lift up all the browned bits from the chicken. Let the wine bubble for 5 minutes until it has reduced by about half.
Scraping up the browned bits is where the sauce gets its flavour — do not skip it.
Done when: Wine reduced by half, sauce smelling sweet and savoury.
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4
Add the potatoes and braise everything
30 Mins
Gentle simmer, about 95°C (200°F); chicken must reach 74°C (165°F)
Put the chicken back in the disc, nestling the pieces among the vegetables, and tuck the potato wedges and bay leaves around them. Season with the remaining salt. Cover the disc loosely with a lid or a sheet of foil and let everything simmer gently for 30 minutes, turning the chicken once halfway, until the potatoes are fork-tender and the chicken is cooked through.
Keep the simmer gentle — a hard boil toughens the chicken and breaks the potatoes apart.
Done when: Potatoes fork-tender; chicken reaches at least 74°C (165°F) in the thickest part.
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5
Rest the chicken in its sauce
5 Mins
Off the heat, resting
Lift the disc off the heat, take out the bay leaves, and let the chicken rest in its sauce for 5 minutes. The sauce will thicken slightly and the chicken will finish cooking through.
Taste the sauce now and add salt only if it needs it — the wine and paprika carry most of the seasoning.
Done when: Chicken hot through, juices running clear, sauce slightly thickened.
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6
Serve from the disc
2 Mins
Hot, straight from the disc
Carry the disc to the table and serve from it, spooning chicken, potatoes and peppers onto each plate with plenty of sauce. Put the bread on the table so everyone can mop up their plate.
Serve it family-style — pollo al disco is meant to be shared from the pan, not plated in the kitchen.
Done when: Served steaming hot, straight from the disc.
auto_awesome Finishing Touches & Plating
Carry the disc to the table and serve straight from it, spooning the wine sauce over every plate — pollo al disco is a dish for sharing, not for plating in the kitchen.
Argentina
1h 25m
