Pollo en Fricasé (Chicken Fricassee)

There is hardly a restaurant on La Isla del Encanto that doesn’t boast a traditional recipe for Pollo en Fricasé. A Fricasé refers to a stew, generally made with poultry, and is often referred to as traditional French, Creole, Caribbean, Cuban, or Puerto Rican food, which just adds to its true Puerto Rican charm... blending cultures is what it’s all about. For me, it’s magic on a plate. This version, with its Boricua flavors of lime and orange, the white wine, and the olives, blend together beautifully. This happy little marriage of flavors is even better the next day.

Once you have all of the veggies prepped, it practically cooks itself. It’s easy enough that I made it the day before, and came home to dinner already prepared after work! Ahhh…bliss! Not to mention, now that cooler weather is rolling in, this just tastes like comfort food. Being that it’s simply chicken, vegetables, and potatoes, it is simple enough to please even the pickiest eaters. Trust me … if you can please my daughter, you’re in. She turns her nose up at almost anything, but with this one, she asked if she could have “that chicken and potato thing” in her lunchbox. Probably not the best idea with no refrigeration, so unfortunately, I had to take it for MY lunch. Score!


Pollo en Fricasé

Yields 6 servings

Ingredients:
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup lime juice
4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
1 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
4 pounds chicken pieces – bone in, skin removed
¼ cup vegetable oil
2 large onions, peeled and chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
1 cup tomato sauce or crushed tomatoes
1 cup chardonnay
½ cup stuffed green olives, coarsely chopped
2 tablespoons capers
½ cup raisins
1 pound potatoes, peeled and cubed in 1-inch dice

Directions:

1. Combine the juices, garlic, salt and pepper in a in a ziptop bag or large bowl.
2. Add the chicken piece, cover and marinate 1 to 2 hours in the refrigerator. Remove the chicken and blot on paper towels. Reserve the marinade.
3. Warm the oil in a soup pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces. Do this in batches rather than overcrowd the pan. Look for a nice golden color, turning occasionally to brown the chicken on all sides.
4. Remove the chicken, and add onions and green pepper to the pan.
5. Sauté the vegetables until onions are nearly translucent, then return chicken to the pan. Continue cooking with chicken for about 3 minutes.
6. Stir in the reserved marinade, tomato sauce, wine, capers, olives, raisins, and potatoes to the pan. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Transfer chicken to a large serving plate and spoon the sauce over it.

Other recipes by Carolyn:

Camarones a la Criolla (Shrimp Creole Style)
Tamales
Bistec Encebollado (Steak and Onions)
Ropa Vieja
Coctel de Camarones (Shrimp Cocktail)
Shrimp Tacos
Tacos de Carnitas
Sopa de Lentejas (Lentil Soup)
Pan de Bono
Huachinango a la Veracruzana (Snapper Veracruz)
Mil Colones Stew
Mofongo Relleno de Camarones


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