Dominican Pollo Guisado (Stewed Chicken with Peppers & Olives)

Lime and oregano chicken browned in caramelized sugar, then stewed with peppers, tomatoes and olives into a light, glossy sauce. It's the main dish on the Dominican lunch plate known as la bandera.

Ingredients

• 2 lb boneless chicken thighs, in large pieces
• 1 lime, juiced
• 1 red onion, sliced
• 1 celery stalk, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, mashed
• 2 green bell peppers (or cubanelles), sliced
• 4 plum tomatoes, quartered
• ¼ cup pitted green olives
• 1 (8 oz) can tomato sauce
• ½ bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1¾ cups long-grain white rice

From your pantry: 2 tbsp oil, 1 tsp sugar, 1 tsp dried oregano, salt, pepper.

Instructions

1. Toss the chicken with the lime juice, oregano, onion, celery, garlic and 1 tsp salt. Let it sit for 30 minutes.
2. Heat the oil and sugar in a heavy pot over medium heat until the sugar turns dark amber, 1 to 2 minutes. Lift the chicken out of the marinade, add it carefully (it spatters) and stir until browned all over, about 5 minutes.
3. Add 2 tbsp water, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring occasionally and adding water by the spoonful if it starts to stick. Start the rice.
4. Add the reserved onion mixture, the peppers, tomatoes and olives. Cover and cook until the vegetables are soft, about 10 minutes.
5. Stir in the tomato sauce and ½ cup water and simmer uncovered on low for 10 minutes, until the sauce is lightly thickened and the chicken is very tender. Stir in the cilantro, season and serve over rice.

Tip: Browning in caramelized sugar is the Dominican trick for deep color. Watch it closely: pull the pot off the heat if it goes past mahogany.

Nutrition per serving

Good for

Adapted from Dominican Cooking.

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