Poached and Sautéed Chicken (Pollo guisado)
This is one of my real standbys, the basis of many dishes at Zarela. As the chicken emerges from the stockpot it is plain poached chicken, ready to be pulled into shreds and used as is. You can do this if you want — but I always take it one step further for the extra depth and dimension of flavor that is so important to my food. I sauté the shredded chicken with onion and garlic to bring out a richer dimension. If for some reason I’m on a diet and use the plain poached chicken, I use lots of herbs and spices when I add it to a recipe!Pollo guisado is an incredibly useful ingredient. You can use it to make tamales, flautas, and many kinds of enchiladas.
Ingredients
- One 3½- to 4-pound chicken cut into quarters
- 2 small white onions 1 left unpeeled, 1 finely chopped
- 3 cloves garlic 2 left unpeeled, 1 finely minced
- 1½-2 teaspoons salt or to taste
- 10 black peppercorns
- 3 sprigs fresh mint
- 2 tablespoons lard, preferably
home-rendered or vegetable oil - Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a stockpot or large Dutch oven with the unpeeled onion, 2 unpeeled garlic cloves, 1 teaspoon salt, black peppercorns, and mint; add water to cover by 2 inches (about 7-8 cups). Bring to a boil over high heat. At once, reduce the heat to maintain a low, rolling boil; skim off any foam that rises to the top. Cook, partly covered, until the chicken is tender, about 20-25 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat and let the chicken cool in the stock; lift out the chicken pieces, discard the skin and bones, and pull the chicken meat into shreds. Strain the stock, discarding the solids and reserve for another use.
- Heat lard or vegetable oil in large saucepan or wide sauté pan until hot but not smoking. Add chopped onion and minced garlic; cook over medium heat until translucent. Add shredded chicken, stirring well to distribute ingredients. Season with salt and freshly ground pepper. Let cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, to blend flavors.
Nutrition
Calories: 331kcalCarbohydrates: 4gProtein: 24gFat: 24gSaturated Fat: 9gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 95mgSodium: 672mgPotassium: 305mgFiber: 1gSugar: 2gVitamin A: 201IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 27mgIron: 1mg
