Chicken Afritada

My freezer is starting to look big.  That means I am running low on supplies.  Let’s see…chicken, mussels, or squid?  I really want to make seafood, but my hubby wants chicken, so chicken it is.

This is a dish that’s been handed down to me by my mom.  I’m sure she makes it differently as far as the procedure goes, as I have made my own variations to it over the years.  But it basically tastes the same.  I’m not one to follow recipes on paper, I just obey my taste buds, and how much work I want to put into it that particular moment.  So far my recipes have had only very few steps in the procedure.  Also, this dish is very similar to the Arroz a’la Valenciana I posted a couple of weeks ago.  A few ingredients are in one and not the other, but basically the same.  -GG-

Ingredients:

Serves 3

1 Whole chicken breast with rib

4 Cloves chopped garlic

3 Tablespoons chopped onion

1 Small can tomato sauce

A few slices of red bell pepper

¼ cup olive oil

1 Small potato cut up in wedges

¼ cup green peas

3 Laurel or Bay leaves

Salt and pepper to taste

Procedure:

1.  Wash the chicken thoroughly and cut up into 8-10 pieces.  Pat dry with a paper towel to prevent oil splatter when frying later.  Sprinkle the chicken with a bit of salt on each side.

2.  Heat up olive oil in deep pan.  Saute the garlic on medium heat for about 45 seconds. Don’t allow the garlic to turn brown.  Add in onions and sauté until glassy.  Remove the garlic and onions from oil and set aside.

3.  Place the chicken in the pan with the remaining oil.  You might need to add a bit more oil if you find it necessary.  Fry up the chicken on all its sides until they are slightly brown.  Don’t cook the chicken all the way through.  It will cook completely in the simmering process later.

4.  Pour the tomato sauce.  Add the garlic, onion, potato, bay leaf, red bell peppers and green peas.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for 20-30 minutes until the potatoes and the chicken are done.  If the sauce gets too thick, add a little bit of water.  Serve with rice on the side.


Note:  Before pouring the tomato sauce, you might want to remove some of the oil, or the sauce will be too oily.

The basic ingredients:  garlic, onion, red bell pepper.  You can also use brown onions.

Pan fry the chicken on each side until lightly browned.