It’s a mouth-watering dish…Chicken Stew, Cuban-Style, as taught by Cuba’s legendary cook, Nitza Villapol, a woman devoted to delicious, healthy and affordable. This recipe from Saveur’s Soups and Stews, has the flavor profile that makes a variety of Cuban dishes irresistible — fresh lime juice, fresh orange juice, chicken, garlic, white wine, potatoes, olives and a touch of tomato sauce. Once you start on this dish, you simply can’t stop.
Ingredients
- 1/4 cup fresh lime juice
- 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
- 3 cloves garlic lightly smashed
- 1 (3-1/2 - 4-lb.) chicken, quartered (backbone discarded or saved for stock)
- 1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 1 large green bell pepper stemmed, seeded, and thinly sliced
- 1 large white onion thinly sliced
- 1 cup dry white wine
- 1 lb. russet potatoes peeled and cut into 1" pieces
- 1/2 cup jarred alcaparrado or 1/3 cup pimiento-stuffed olives and 2 tbsp. capers
- 1/4 cup raisins
- 1 cup frozen peas defrosted
- 1 8-oz. can tomato sauce
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
Servings: people
Instructions
- Combine lime and orange juices, garlic, chicken, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
- Heat oil in an 8-qt. saucepan over medium-high. Remove chicken from marinade and pat dry using paper towels; reserve marinade. Working in batches, cook chicken, flipping once, until browned, 8–10 minutes. Using tongs, transfer chicken to a plate and set aside. Add bell pepper and onion to pan and cook until soft, 6–8 minutes. Add wine; deglaze, stirring and scraping up browned bits from bottom of pan, and cook until reduced by half, 5–7 minutes. Return chicken to pan and add reserved marinade, the potatoes, alcaparrado, raisins, tomato sauce, salt, pepper, and ½ cup water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook, covered, until chicken and potatoes are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in peas, spoon stew into bowls, and serve.
