Tender Chicken and Chorizo Stew

Like everything I like to eat, my food has to be loaded with flavor. This chicken stew is no exception. Charring the tomato paste, deglazing the pot with wine, and adding chicken broth instead of water intensify this recipe's flavor elements.

this Recipe!

Why you would love this recipe

I want to give a "warning" that although I use Puerto Rican condiments and seasonings, this is not a "traditional" Puerto Rican chicken stew. This is how I make my chicken stew. With that said, this is why I think you will love this recipe.

• Bold flavors: I am not going to deny the power of water in cooking, but I am also going to state that water, in it of itself, does not provide more flavor to what you are cooking. I come across many recipes that call for quarts and quarts of water. Using broths and stocks instead of water, add flavor to whatever you are cooking.
• Charring tomato paste: Tomato paste is a concentrated tomato flavor agent. However, a little goes a long way. Recently I came across the idea of toasting the tomato paste to intensify the flavor even more. Not only does it intensifies the flavor, but it also caramelizes the tomato, adding a level of sweetness.
• Deglazing the pot: Tomato paste will stick to the bottom of the pot while charring; this is just another layer of flavor to be added to the final product. Deglazing is the process of adding a liquid or ingredient that has a level of acidity, which will lift the cooked bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. But, again, a little can go a long way. What we are looking for is to lift the food and see the bottom of the pot. The stuck bits then incorporate into the sauce.

Ingredients

• Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe because I did not want to deal with obstructions while eating. No, the truth is those were the chicken thighs I had at home at the moment. Bone-in, Skin-on chicken thighs are perfect for this recipe.
• Chorizo: There are benefits to using uncured chorizo to a cured chorizo (the dried links). The cured chorizo has a more robust flavor profile, while the uncured chorizo behaves like a regular sausage. I often buy uncured chorizo because I like pulling them from their casing and adding them to my ground beef. You can use dried chorizo if you would like to.
• Potatoes: Baby gold potatoes are creamy and buttery. They hold their shape well and maintain their beautiful color through cooking.
• White Wine: I cook with what I have available, and today I have white wine. Yes, typically, you would add red wine to a tomato-based sauce, but white wine works just as well.
• Other ingredients: Canned tomatoes, Onions, Garlic, Tomato Paste, Bay Leaf, Sofrito, Salt and Pepper, Powdered Sazón and Adobo, Paprika

Variations

• Wine: I am using white wine in this recipe because I ran out of red. Red wine would work just as well in this recipe. Consider the sweetness or dryness of the wine as you plan your recipe.
• Root vegetables: Potatoes could easily be omitted and replaced by Yucca, Yautia, or Batata (sweet potato).
• Tomatoes: Omit the tomatoes completely. The stew will be more of a golden color or a "blonde" stew.

Step-by-Step Instructions

I seasoned the chicken with powdered adobo, paprika, and sazón. I let the chicken rest for at least 30 minutes while I continued to prep the rest of my ingredients.

Serve over rice. And for a more authentic Puerto Rican feel, add a wedge of avocado and a lettuce and tomato salad.

My best advice

• Plan ahead: Always allow time for your proteins to marinate and soak in the flavors of your seasonings.
• Sear, then cut: When using an uncured or raw sausage like I am in this recipe. sear the sausage, then cut it into rounds. If you cut it first, it will create a mess. However, removing the casing of the sausage will create a chunkier sauce full of spice and bite to the tooth.

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