Chicken Stew, Chiapas Style
Estofado de Pollo Estilo ChiapasSan Cristobal de las Casas is a colonial city in the southern state of Chiapas only 100 miles from Guatemala. The rich Indian culture still thrives as seen in the locally made crafts and hand-woven fabrics. My husband and I were there long before political uprisings put Chiapas in the international news. We stayed at the Molina de la Alborada hotel just outside the city. One evening, the cook prepared a tasty regional chicken stew deliciously accented with green olives and chopped pickled jalapeños. We were welcomed into the kitchen, so I took notes and later concocted this recipe at home. The ingredient list is long, but the stew is easy to prepare. Serve with good crusty bread.
Ingredients
Makes 4 to 6 servings
- 4 skinless chicken thighs on the bone
- 4 skinless chicken breast halves on the bone
- 1 14 1⁄2-ounce can fat-free reduced-sodium chicken broth
- 2 bay leaves
- 2 teaspoons salt
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- ½ medium white onion chopped
- 5 medium garlic cloves peeled and thinly sliced
- 2 medium tomatoes cored and chopped
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano Mexican variety preferred, crumbled
- ½ teaspoon dried thyme
- ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon Mexican canela or Ceylon variety preferred
- ¼ teaspoon ground cloves
- ⅛ teaspoon freshly ground pepper
- 2 small red or white potatoes scrubbed and diced (½ inch)
- 2 medium carrots peeled and cut in 1⁄2-inch pieces
- 1 medium zucchini cut in 1⁄2-inch pieces
- 8 pimiento stuffed olives sliced crosswise
- 4 jarred pickled jalapeños seeded and finely chopped
Instructions
- Put the chicken in a large pot.
- Add the broth, 1 cup of water, bay leaves, and 1 teaspoon of the salt.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low and simmer until the chicken is tender, about 25 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large skillet, and cook the onion until softened, 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the garlic, tomatoes, oregano, thyme, cinnamon, cloves, and pepper.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, stirring, 5 minutes.
- Transfer to a blender and purée.
- Reserve in the blender.
- When the chicken is tender, remove the bay leaves.
- Add the purée to the broth and bring to a boil.
- Add the potatoes, carrots, zucchini, and the remaining teaspoon of salt to the stew.
- Cover and cook over moderate heat until the vegetables are tender, 20 to 25 minutes.
- Serve in shallow soup plates.
- Top each serving equally with olives.
- Pass jalapeños at the table.