By Martha Rose Shulman
- Total Time
- 1 hour 45 minutes
- Rating
- 5(108)
- Notes
- Read community notes
This is loosely based on a chicken stew from the Mexican state of Veracruz. The cuisine of Veracruz, more than any of the other cuisines of Mexico, retains much Spanish influence, and this is a perfect example. There are not even any chilies in this stew, though I’ve added some cayenne for a little punch.
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Ingredients
Yield:4 to 6 servings.
- 1medium onion, peeled and quartered
- 4garlic cloves, unpeeled
- 128-ounce can tomatoes in juice
- 2tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
- 6 to 8skinned chicken legs and/or thighs (can use boneless thighs)
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1½cups chicken stock
- 10medium green olives, pitted and finely chopped
- 1tablespoon capers, rinsed and finely chopped
- ¼cup raisins (optional)
- 1sprig fresh rosemary
- 1teaspoon dried oregano, preferably Mexican
- 12-inch cinnamon stick
- 1bay leaf
- ¼teaspoon cayenne
- 1pound butternut squash, peeled and cut in small dice
- 2tablespoons dry sherry (optional)
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (6 servings)
166 calories; 7 grams fat; 1 gram saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 4 grams monounsaturated fat; 1 gram polyunsaturated fat; 25 grams carbohydrates; 6 grams dietary fiber; 10 grams sugars; 4 grams protein; 727 milligrams sodium
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
Step
1
Preheat the broiler. Line a small baking sheet or a pie tin with foil and place the onion and garlic on it. Place under the broiler, close to the heat. Broil for 2 minutes and check. As soon as the garlic skin is charred, remove the cloves and set aside. Turn the onion, using tongs, and continue to broil, turning often, until it is charred and softened, 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from the heat.
Step
2
Peel the garlic and transfer to a blender with the onion and tomatoes (do this in 2 batches if your blender is small). Blend until smooth.
Step
3
Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil over medium-high heat in a deep lidded frying pan or a heavy casserole. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and brown for 5 minutes on each side, in batches if necessary. Transfer to a bowl. Pour off the fat from the pan.
Step
4
Keep the heat high and add the remaining olive oil. Add the blended tomato mixture to the pan all at once. It should sear and splutter. Cook, stirring, for a couple of minutes, until the mixture thickens noticeably, then add ½ cup of the stock and salt to taste. Turn the heat down to low and simmer, stirring from time to time, for 15 minutes. Stir in the remaining chicken broth.
Step
5
Return the chicken pieces to the sauce, along with any liquid that has accumulated in the bowl. Add the olives, capers, raisins, rosemary, oregano, cinnamon stick, bay leaf, cayenne and squash and bring back to a simmer. Season to taste with salt and pepper, cover and simmer over low heat for 30 minutes, or until the chicken and squash are tender. Stir in the sherry, if desired, and continue to simmer for another 5 minutes. Taste and adjust seasoning. Serve with rice or other grains.
Ratings
5
out of 5
108
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Cooking Notes
David Baldwin
Remember to dice the squash very small, or fully submerge the pieces for the entire cooking time, or they will not cook through.
Chelsea Hodge
Wow!!! This was delicious! A few tips & ideas:
- The tomato sauce will splatter EVERYWHERE while cooking! Definitely a good time to get out your splatter guard and put it to use.
- I added 2 cups chicken broth since I had 2 1-cup packs. It turned out great.
- This would be a great vegan recipe if you simply replaced the chicken broth with veggie broth (or water) and the chicken w/ additional veggies (carrots, thick cut onions etc.)
- This is the type of recipe that I think would freeze well.
Sarah
I pre-cooked the diced squash in the microwave for a couple minutes before adding it to the tomato mixture.Put the chicken in last, after mixing everything else together.Best on the second day -- Dee-lish!
Sharon Campbell
I added a Serrano pepper to the tomato, garlic, onion mixture to get some heat. Very generous servings.
Mike
I have cooked this meal several times, so delicious. Usually add more capers and golden raisins no olives.
Lana
Made half the recipe but didn’t break the cinnamon stick in half (I think I should have). Came out cinnamony but delicious. Next time I’d do some more onion. Didn’t add the broth in batches just in one go and added the squash before the chicken because I was using deboned thighs. Also used delicata squash and it was delicious.
David F
Absolutely delicious just vibrating with all the different flavorsDon’t trust the recipes instructions on the squash I roasted at 450 for fifteen minutes ahead of time and the squash turned out perfectly
erka
this was fantastic!! sadly not tolerant of spicy flavors in the slightest so subbed cayenne out for smoked paprika and it still worked well for me.
LB
I don't particularly recommend this. The squash doesn't cook properly in the tomato sauce. And I made it with skinless, boneless thighs that came out a bit tough. It's better to leaves skin on for browning and then remove it if you don't want the skin. The sauce itself had a nice flavor but there were too many weaknesses in the dish. If I were to make it again, I would use bone-in thighs with skin and parboil the squash before adding it.
Sarah
I pre-cooked the diced squash in the microwave for a couple minutes before adding it to the tomato mixture.Put the chicken in last, after mixing everything else together.Best on the second day -- Dee-lish!
Pat from Yorktown NY
I was surprised to find that all I could taste was the cinnamon (and the tomatoes, of course). Next time, I’d increase the amount of capers, olives, raisins, rosemary, and so on, and either omit the cinnamon or add just the tiniest piece. And even though I diced the squash, I still ended up cooking it more than an hour just to get it to soften. But I still gave the recipe 4 stars, because it made for a tasty and comforting meal on a cold night.
It's currently simmering
It smells amazing n it looks so mouthwatering can't wait to dig in when done!!!
Chelsea Hodge
Wow!!! This was delicious! A few tips & ideas:
- The tomato sauce will splatter EVERYWHERE while cooking! Definitely a good time to get out your splatter guard and put it to use.
- I added 2 cups chicken broth since I had 2 1-cup packs. It turned out great.
- This would be a great vegan recipe if you simply replaced the chicken broth with veggie broth (or water) and the chicken w/ additional veggies (carrots, thick cut onions etc.)
- This is the type of recipe that I think would freeze well.
Sharon Campbell
I added a Serrano pepper to the tomato, garlic, onion mixture to get some heat. Very generous servings.
David Baldwin
Remember to dice the squash very small, or fully submerge the pieces for the entire cooking time, or they will not cook through.
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