Picante de Pollo - Bolivian Spicy Chicken
An easy but flavorful Bolivian chicken and vegetable stew, served with double-starches (rice and potatoes) with a zesty salad.
Picante de Pollo
1 chicken, cut into pieces (or 6 chicken thighs) ½ cup vegetable oil 2 tomatoes, chopped 1 large red bell pepper, cut into strips 3 ají panca - pasillas, serrano or jalapenos can be substituted (for less heat use poblano peppers, anaheim, or dried pepper flakes) 3 onions, chopped 3 cloves garlic ½ teaspoon black pepper 3 cups chicken broth 1 cube chicken bouillon (or vegetable broth) 2 tablespoons vegetable oil ½ teaspoon ground cumin ½ teaspoon crushed oregano Salt and pepper to taste 4 medium white potatoes 3/4 - 1 cup frozen peas 1 1 cup long grain white rice, steamed
-Cook the potatoes, unpeeled, in a medium saucepan, covered with salted water, just until fork tender. Drain and set aside until cool enough to handle. Peel potatoes and cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes. Set aside.
-In a Dutch oven, add ¼ cup vegetable oil and heat. Fry the chicken until golden. Remove from heat and reserve. Keep the cooking oil.
-In another pot, add the rest of the oil and heat over low heat. Sauté the onions for 20 minutes, stirring regularly until translucent. Add the garlic, bell pepper, tomatoes, bouillon cube, cumin, oregano and ají panca (hot peppers). Cover and cook over medium low heat for 15 minutes.
-In the Dutch oven where the chicken was fried, add 1 cup of hot chicken broth and stir. Add this mixture to the mixture in the Dutch oven (with peppers). Add the remaining broth and the chicken and mix well. Season with salt and black pepper, cover and cook for about 30 minutes. Turn off the heat and add the frozen peas.
-Serve the Picante de Pollo with boiled potatoes, white rice and K'allu (tomato and onion salad).
Bolivian K’Allu (Tomato and Onion Salad)
a few Quilquiña leaves (cilantro) 1 red locoto (very hot pepper, optional) 8 ounces of Queso Fresco, shredded 2 red onions, slivered 2 tomatoes, cut into slivers 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 tablespoon wine vinegar salt and pepper to taste
-Wash the vegetables and peel the onions. Cut the onions into thin slices and place them in a colander, then pass them under hot running water in the sink for a moment.
-Cut the tomatoes into slivers. If using the hot pepper, remove the seeds and pith, then finely chop. Roughly chop the cilantro. Mix all the vegetables together in a medium bowl. Toss vegetables with salt and pepper, olive oil and vinegar. Top with cheese. Let sit at least 20 minutes for flavors to blend or chill until serving.
A Bolivian plate full of things we love to eat - hot and spicy (or not), as you choose!
PERSNICKETY NOTES:
*You can control the level of spicy heat to your taste. Omit hot peppers altogether or tame the heat level a bit by using milder peppers such as poblanos peppers or canned green chiles (see others suggested in the recipe). It helps create an authentic taste and more complexity to the flavors with even just a bit of heat.
*You can choose to serve Picante de Pollo with both potatoes and rice, or just one or the other or with neither. This recipe and the many ways it is served allows you to go in several different directions!
