This Portuguese Chicken Gratin Is Pure Comfort

Today we’re flipping a Portuguese classic on its head. I took everything I love about Cod gratin—the creamy sauce, the golden potatoes, the crispy top—and built a whole new dish using juicy shredded chicken, smoky chouriço, and a homemade roasted chicken broth velouté that’s got layers of comfort baked right in.
We’ve got caramelized onions, thin-sliced potatoes, gooey cheese, and flavor packed into every single bite. It's cozy, bold, and totally nostalgic… just with a twist.
If you’ve never tried a Portuguese-style chicken gratin, this is the one.
Make it. Eat it. Try not to eat the whole tray yourself.

🧾 Ingredients
🐔 For the Chicken & Broth:
• 1kg bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
• 1 carrot
• 1 onion
• 1 head garlic
• Chicken skins (from the thighs)
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1.2L water
• Salt & pepper, to taste
• 2 bay leaves
• 1 Tbsp Dark Soy sauce
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🍛 For the Velouté:
• 75g butter
• 75g flour
• 500ml homemade chicken stock (from above)
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 Tsp Dark Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 150g Mozzarella cheese
• 25g Parmesan Cheese
• Salt & white pepper to taste
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Filling/Layer:
• The shredded chicken (from thighs)
• 100g spicy chouriço, diced
• 1 red bell pepper, diced or sliced
• 1 onion, thinly sliced
• 50g Peanuts
• 1 tbsp olive oil (for sautéing chouriço + peppers)
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🥔 Potato Layer:
• 500g potatoes, thinly sliced (mandoline or sharp knife)
• Salt to season
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🧀 Topping:
• 100g mozzarella, shredded
• 15g parmesan
• Optional: drizzle of olive oil