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My Abuelita's Estofado de Pollo Won Over My Mother-in-Law

Golden chicken simmers in a savory onion-garlic broth until tender, then joins a silky tomato sauce enriched with fried almonds, sweet raisins, briny olives, and golden plantains. Each bite tastes rich and comforting, with layers of sweet, savory, and salty flavors that linger.

Recipe and photo by EatingWell, shared here with credit. View the Original

My Abuelita's Estofado de Pollo Won Over My Mother-in-Law
Total
1 hr 45 min
Prep
30 min
Cook
1 hr 15 min
Serves
8

Nutrition per Serving

Calories
465
Protein
24g
Carbs
23g
Fat
32g
Fiber
3g
Sugar
12g
Sodium
715mg

Ingredients

  • 8 cups water
  • 1 medium onion, peeled and halved, divided
  • 10 cloves garlic, peeled, divided
  • 2 bay leaves
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 whole chicken (4-5 pounds), cut into 8 pieces
  • 1/4 cup raw almonds
  • 6 plum tomatoes, cored
  • 3/4 cup canola oil
  • 2 medium plantains, peeled and sliced on the diagonal 1/4-inch thick
  • 1/4 cup raisins
  • 1 cup pitted Castelvetrano olives
  • 1/4 cup capers, rinsed
  • 2 jalapeño peppers
  • 1 cinnamon stick
  • Warm corn tortillas for serving

Instructions

  1. Combine water, 1/2 onion, 4 garlic cloves, bay leaves and salt in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Add chicken and reduce heat to medium. Cook, uncovered, until an instant-read thermometer inserted in the thickest part of a piece of chicken without touching bone registers 165°F, about 20 minutes.
  2. Meanwhile, bring a small saucepan of water to a boil over high heat. Add almonds; cook for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water. When cool enough to handle, peel the almonds by squeezing the skin between your fingertips (careful, the almonds will fly out). Set aside.
  3. Combine tomatoes and the remaining onion half and 6 garlic cloves in a blender; puree until smooth, about 1 minute. Set aside.
  4. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat until shimmering. Cook plantains in 2 batches, turning halfway, until golden, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate with a slotted spoon. Add the almonds to the pot; cook, stirring frequently, until golden, 1 to 2 minutes. Transfer to the plate with the plantains with a slotted spoon. Add raisins to the pot; cook, stirring, for 30 seconds. Transfer to the plate with the plantains with a slotted spoon.
  5. Add the tomato mixture to the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the mixture turns a deeper shade of red, 5 to 10 minutes.
  6. Remove the chicken from the broth to a plate. Strain the broth (discard the solids).
  7. Add olives, capers, jalapeños, cinnamon stick and 6 cups of the broth to the pot with the tomato mixture. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 20 minutes. Stir in the raisins, almonds, plantains and chicken. Discard the cinnamon stick and jalapeños. Serve the stew with tortillas, if desired.