Pollo Guisado with Tostones
Stewed chicken, rice and fried plantains...I was raised on this dish as well as several others that are native to Puerto Rico and my family. My parents both worked when I was young so now that I have children of my own I appreciate how difficult it was for my Mom to come home and make a nice warm meal everyday. Yes we had the occasional boxed mac and cheese, hamburgers and take out. But my very own mechanical makeup is comprised of dishes such as stewed chicken, beef or pork, rice and beans, plantains, pasteles, pernil...I can go on and on. I learned from my Mom and my Grandmother the basics behind some of the most common Puerto Rican dishes and I was able to recreate this dish.
Makes 2-3 servings
Sofrito:
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
1 small bunch of cilantro
4-6 cloves of garlic
Pinch of salt
Chicken:
2 tablespoons of sofrito
4 chicken thighs or legs (bone in)
1/4 cup of green bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup of onion (chopped)
4 oz of tomato sauce (I use Goya but any other tomato sauce will do)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 bay leaf
2-2 1/2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
Garlic Spread:
2 gloves of garlic (pressed in a pilon (mortar & pestle) or finely minced)
Pinch of salt
Olive oil (Goya olive oil is preferred)
Makes 2-3 servings
Sofrito:
1 green bell pepper
1 onion
1 small bunch of cilantro
4-6 cloves of garlic
Pinch of salt
Chicken:
2 tablespoons of sofrito
4 chicken thighs or legs (bone in)
1/4 cup of green bell pepper (chopped)
1/4 cup of onion (chopped)
4 oz of tomato sauce (I use Goya but any other tomato sauce will do)
1/2 teaspoon of oregano
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1 bay leaf
2-2 1/2 cups of water
1 teaspoon of white vinegar
Garlic Spread:
2 gloves of garlic (pressed in a pilon (mortar & pestle) or finely minced)
Pinch of salt
Olive oil (Goya olive oil is preferred)
Sofrito...the seasoning behind most Puerto Rican dishes. It seems to vary slightly family to family but the basic ingredients are comprised of the above. Recao also known as Culantro or Long Coriander can also be included but it can be difficult to find it in a regular grocery store. Grocery stores that cater to Latin and Caribbean cultures will most likely carry it.
I have gathered all of my ingredients for the sofrito into a tall mixing cup and I am blending it with an immersion blender. A food processor will do as well but I haven't used it in months and after making baby food with it for a few years I don't even want to look at that thing. So my immersion blender is another one of my best friends.
I like chunky green pepper and onion in my pollo guisado. I have chopped about a 1/4 cup of each here.
You can use chicken thighs or legs. (You can even use chicken breast but only with the bone. Except you should cut your cook time in half, otherwise the breast will dry out.) Season the chicken with a 1/2 teaspoon of salt and 1/2 a teaspoon of pepper.
Pan fry the chicken skin side down in a few drizzles of olive oil for a few minutes. Turn them over and cook for a few minutes more. Then remove the chicken and set them aside on a platter. Remove the skin. Your luscious chicken fat awaits you...
Add in 2 tablespoons of the sofrito, a tablespoon of Spanish green olives, your chopped veggies, 1/2 teaspoon of oregano and a 1/2 teaspoon of salt. Saute for a few minutes. Add in 1/2 of a small can of tomato sauce. About 4 oz. Let your mixture come up to a rapid boil.
Now add in 2 cups of water along with the chicken.
Make sure the water just about covers the chicken. If not add in a little more water.
Don't forget the bay leaf. Cover the pot with a lid and keep it at low to medium heat for 1 hour.
This is my wood pilon (mortar and pestle). It is infused with flavor not only from the years that I have used it but for the many years that my Mom used it. She gave it to me when I first started to learn to cook for myself after college.
Add in 4 cloves of garlic and a pinch of salt. Pound your garlic until it comes together as a paste. And don't be afraid to use some of that elbow grease.
Place your garlic into a bowl and cover it with an olive oil of your choice. Goya olive oil is preferred. The oil helps to preserve it. We will place the garlic on top of our plantains once they have been fried.
Here are the green plantains.
Cut the ends off. You will need a very sharp knife. Run the knife down the back of the plantain skin. Using your fingers and the knife, peel back the skin. The skin of the plantain is thick and tough that's why the very sharp knife and careful hands are necessary. They look perfect although I will be the first to admit that it took years and several flubs for me to get it right. Cut your plantains diagonally into 2 inch chunks. Now you can get your oil hot so the plantains can be fried.
Our chicken is coming together. At this point you want to add in a secret ingredient...1 teaspoon of white vinegar. It rounds out all of the flavors and adds a small bite to the sauce without it being spicy. Keep the lid off and let the chicken continue to simmer for another 30 minutes so that the sauce can reduce and thicken.
This is my plantain press or Tostonera. Another present from my Mom. If you don't have one you can easily take a few sheets of aluminum foil and fold it to simulate a Tostonera, pressing the plantains with the palm of your hand.
Fry the plantains for a few minutes until lightly browned.
Take the lightly browned plantains and place them into the tostonera pressing them flat.
Then return them back into the hot oil to fry for a minutes more until they are golden brown.
Don't they look delicious?
Our sauce is thick, the chicken is moist and it smells like home.
Enjoy!
