Latin American•comfort

Ma’s Spanish Chicken Stew

This Spanish Chicken stew is my mom's verison of a pollo guisado, with plenty of vegetables, beans, and olives, and it's perfect served over rice.

Ingredients

Quantities are shown as originally provided.

2 tablespoons oil
8 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs
6 cloves garlic ((finely chopped))
1 onion ((diced))
2 stalks celery ((diced))
4 medium carrots ((diced))
1 green bell pepper ((diced))
2 medium potatoes ((diced))
1 packet of Goya Sazon con culantro y achiote seasoning
2 bay leaves
½ cup Spanish green olives ((whole or roughly chopped))
14 ounces canned whole peeled tomatoes
1 14- ounce can pink beans
2 cups water
Salt to taste ((we added an additional ½ teaspoon))
3 cups uncooked white rice ((steamed and thoroughly mixed with ¼ cup of olive oil, 1 teaspoon salt, and ¼ cup chopped parsley))

1
First, heat a large skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high heat. Spread 2 tablespoons of oil evenly across the cooking surface, and brown the chicken thighs on both sides. Set the browned chicken aside on a plate.
2
Add the garlic and onion to the skillet. Cook for a minute or so, and then add the celery, carrots, bell pepper, and potato. Cook for a few minutes until the carrots begin to soften. Add the seasoning packet and stir to combine.
3
Add 2 bay leaves, ½ cup of Spanish green olives, chopped or whole (we like whole, but sometimes chopped adds more of a delightful relish effect to the sauce), and the entire contents of the 14-ounce can of whole (use a spatula to break them up into chunks) peeled tomatoes and the 14-ounce can of pink beans (the starch from the beans helps thicken the sauce).
4
Add the chicken to the pot with the vegetables along with 2 cups of water. Bring to a boil, cover, and turn the heat down to a simmer. Cook for 30 minutes until the potatoes are tender. Then uncover and cook for an additional 10-15 minutes on medium high heat to reduce the sauce.
5
Serve with white rice mixed with ¼ cup of olive oil, a sprinkling of 1 teaspoon of salt (or to taste), and ¼ cup chopped parsley. This stew goes great with a little hot sauce on the side––Crystal (our favorite) or Tabasco are both great options.