Dad's Stewed Chicken (Pollo Guisado)
This is a very popular Dominican dish that my dad makes all the time. I usually serve it over white rice and black beans or Spanish rice with pigeon peas. You will not regret making this dish. It will become an immediate favorite.
This is a very popular Dominican dish that my dad makes all the time. I usually serve it over white rice and black beans or Spanish rice with pigeon peas. You will not regret making this dish. It will become an immediate favorite.
- 1 medium onion
- 2 cloves garlic
- 1 tomato
- 2 lemons
- 3 stalks celery
- 3 tbs olive oil
- 2 tbs tomato paste
- 3 tbs sugar
- 2.5 lbs chicken thighs and drums
- 8 olives
- 4 capers
- .5 green or red bell pepper
- 8 plum tomato
- 4 stems cilantro
- 3 sprigs oregano
- 2 packets sazon goya
- 16 oz chicken stock
- 1 tsp salt (or to taste)
- Carbohydrate 33.7896748209134 g
- Cholesterol 241.537725 mg
- Fat 66.515381805523 g
- Fiber 6.7168007074231 g
- Protein 55.1512818330343 g
- Saturated Fat 15.8514894861042 g
- Serving Size 1 1 Serving (734g)
- Sodium 1271.70814721544 mg
- Sugar 27.0728741134903 g
- Trans Fat 3.67132683610123 g
- Calories 939 calories
Step-by-step
- Place oil and sugar into a Caldero, Dutch oven, or similar. Place on medium heat.
- Place Chicken (bone in is recommended for flavor) in a metal bowl and wash thoroughly with lemon juice from both lemons.
- Using tongs, place the chicken pieces on the oil and stir fry with a metal spoon for approximately 20 minutes on medium-high heat until golden brown and thoroughly cooked. Check to make sure it is cooked by cutting through with your stirring spoon.
- Add the remaining ingredients and stir to a boil. Salt to taste.
- Cover and cook on medium-low heat for 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender.
- Uncover and let the sauce thicken to desired consistency. If desired, chopped potatoes may be added to achieve consistency without over cooking the vegetables.
- Serve with White Rice and Black Beans or with Yellow Rice and Pigeon Peas.
The raw ingredient measurements offer no hint about how the sauce actually builds its deep amber color and savory backbone. Achieving authentic flavor requires precise heat management and careful handling of the meat before it ever touches the pot.
- Caramelize the sugar slowly in your caldero or Dutch oven until it reaches a deep mahogany brown, but watch closely because scorched sugar turns bitter in seconds.
- Wash the chicken thoroughly with fresh lemon juice to remove surface impurities, then dry the pieces thoroughly with paper towels before searing so they brown properly instead of steaming.
- Stir-fry the bone-in thighs and drumsticks on medium-high heat for approximately 20 minutes to render the fat and build a crust.
- Simmer the covered stew on medium-low heat for 10 minutes once the stock and aromatics are added, then uncover to reduce the liquid until it coats the back of a spoon.
Leftovers store safely in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to four days and freeze well for two months. Reheat gently over medium-low heat on the stovetop, adding a splash of water or chicken stock to restore the sauce consistency if it thickens too much in cold storage.
