Two the Right Way…

Let’s put it out there before we go any further in our blog relationship—I love fried foods! And my favorite by far is chicken, if done the right way. So what better way to kick off my weekly recipe posts than by sharing my favorite Puerto Rican and Soul Food fried chicken recipes.

Up first is my flavorful, tender, crispy yet still juicy, Chicharrón de Pollo—direct translation: Chicken Cracklings. I paired this fried chicken with tostones (twice fried green plantains) alongside a sweet and crispy tomato and cabbage salad, lightly dressed with olive oil and vinegar.


Chicharrón de Pollo

2 Split Chicken Breasts (bone-in, skin removed)
(you may add dark meat such as thighs)

2 limes

1 Tbsp. of white vinegar

1 Tbsp. of adobo (without pepper)

1 Tbsp. of dried oregano

3 garlic cloves

2 tsp. of kosher salt

1 Tbsp. of olive Oil

2 tsp. of ground black pepper

1 cup of all-purpose flour for dredging


1. In a pilón (mortar and pestle), combine the oregano, garlic cloves, kosher salt, olive oil and ground black pepper, and mash into a paste.
2. Remove the skin from the split chicken breasts. (If you’re using dark meat, make sure you remove the skin as well.) Trim the chicken breasts of any visible fat. Wash under cold running water.
3. Cut the chicken breasts (straight through the bone) into uniform chunks.
4. In a bowl combine the chicken breast, adobo, garlic mixture, and vinegar; squeeze the limes over the chicken mixture, give the chicken a marinade massage and let the mixture sit for 30 minutes.

While your chicken is marinating, this would be a good time to make a salad and get started on your tostones.

Tostones

1 green plantain yields about 4 or 5 tostones… you decide how hungry you are… I meant the number of people you’re serving.

For this you will need a sharp knife (preferably a pairing knife, but I use a big ol’ chefs knife), and a tostonera (or the bottom of a bowl, mug, plate—anything flat and sturdy).

1. Cut off the ends of the green plantain.

2. Slice the peel horizontally along the ridges of the plantain (try not to slice past the peel).

3. Cut the plantains in chunks on a slight bias.

4. Fry the plantain chunks in canola oil at a low heat, almost at an oil simmer, until tender, but not browned.

5. Remove from oil and drain on a paper towel. Immediately smash into tostones. If you allow the plantain chunks to cool before smashing, they will crumble and you will have plantain crumbs. Note: I usually sprinkle a little adobo on them before smashing so that the flavor is embedded into the plantain.
6. Now that you’ve smashed (yes, smashed) the chunks into tostones, they are ready to be fried; this time at a slightly higher heat than before. They’re done when crisp and golden. This can be done at the very last minute before serving since they taste better when hot.

Back to the chicken…

Drain off any excess marinade and dredge the chicken in the flour (which you may season with adobo). The goal is to achieve a light coating of flour. I pat the chicken to remove any excess flour.

Fry the chicken in canola oil, LOW and SLOW! You may cover the chicken with a lid for the first five minutes so that the chicken steams, and flip once brown on one side. Note: You want light bubbles in the oil, not oil that’s violently popping. Otherwise, one of two things will happen: either your chicken will burn on the outside and be raw on the inside, or you’ll have dry chicken.

Serve the chicharrón de pollo with lime wedges, tostones and a salad… Perfect Summer food!

¡Buen Provecho!