Estofado de pollo is a hearty chicken stew.
If you’d like, you could use blanched almonds and skip Step 2.
Serve with a side of rice and beans.
My mother-in-law, Liz, is a very particular eater.
She does not eat beef, pork, cheese, dairy, cooked carrots, bread or greasy things.
She doesn’t mind if you eat these thingsin fact, she might even cook them for you.
But if she does, she will cook her own food on the side.
When I met my in-laws, my mission was to impress them with food.
to get to win them over, I was going to have to pull out all the stops.
I decided to cook for them one of my grandmother’s signature dishes.
Abuelita Emma’s estofado de pollo is different.
My grandmother was the only person I’ve ever known to make it this way.
This combination of flavors reflects the complex history of Veracruz, the state of my familial roots.
All of these imports mix with the native tomatoes and jalapenos in this chicken stew.
Together these ingredients remind me of just how diverse we all really are.
Cooking my abuelita’s recipe in my mother-in-law’s kitchen would be a test in and of itself.
A person that is particular about her eating would also be particular about her cookware.
Luckily I was able to find all of the ingredients at the local supermarket.
She was surprised to see how dark the plantains were.
I explained to her that we used them when they had lots of dark spots.
This is how to get a sweet fried plantain.
She was pleased to learn something new.
She left me alone most of the time but she did pepper me with more questions while I cooked.
Before I ladled the stew into bowls, I told everyone about the history of this dish.
I served everyone the stew along with a plate of rice and beans and some warm corn tortillas.
I did not take a bite until everyone else had tried the food.
I held my breath as I watched them eat.
First there was a chorus of mmm’s.
Then my mother-in-law said, “This is delicious!
You have to give me the recipe!”
My heart swelled with pride and relief.
She liked my food.
My abuelita would have been proud.
Cover and bring to a boil over high heat.
Add chicken and reduce heat to medium.
Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat.
Add almonds; cook for 5 minutes.
Drain and rinse with cold water.
Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering.
Cook plantains in 2 batches, turning halfway, until golden, about 2 minutes per side.
Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon.
Add the almonds to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes.
Transfer to the plate with the plantains with a slotted spoon.
Add raisins to the pot; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds.
Transfer to the plate with the plantains with a slotted spoon.
Add the tomato mixture to the pot.
Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a deeper shade of red, 5 to 10 minutes.
Remove the chicken from the broth to a plate.
Strain the broth (discard the solids).
Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes.
Stir in the raisins, almonds, plantains and chicken.
Discard the cinnamon stick and jalapenos.
Serve the stew with tortillas, if desired.
- Daily Values (DVs) are the recommended amounts of nutrients to consume each day.
(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient.
