My Mom had been in Cuba for over a month and I not only missed her but I missed her cooking. I have been craving my Moms Chicken Fricasse and as soon as she got back from Cuba she came over and shared this long time family recipe. As with any traditional Cuban recipe you will find some variances on some of the ingredients used. I have seen many Chicken Fricasse recipes use a tomato base, but my mom never used a tomato base and I'm fine with that. To me this dish was perfect as is.
Ingredients
5 Lbs of Chicken (bone-in, skin-on) Olive Oil (enough to cover pan) 1/4 Cup vinegar 1 Cup white wine 3 Tablespoons of Capers 1 Tablespoon Caper Juice 12 Manzanilla Olives 2 Bay Leaves 1 Tablespoon Cummin 6 Whole All Spice 1 Tablespoon Peppercorns 1 Whole Chopped Onion 1 Whole Green Pepper 1 Whole Red Pepper 6 Garlic Cloves 1 Pack of Sauzon Goya Salt to taste
Season individual chicken pieces with salt. Add all ingredients in a container, cover and refrigerate 1 to 2 hours.
Remove chicken from the marinade.
Strain and reserve marinade juice.
Warm the oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat and brown the chicken pieces. Pour into the pot all of the remaining ingredients , sauteing with the chicken until onions are translucent, about 3 -5 min.
Add reserved marinade juice. Reduce heat to low, cover pan and simmer for 30 min.
We are back again for with some specialties passed down for generations from Cuba. My Mom is from Santiago de Cuba were this special black beans and rice dish is known as Congri. I believe in Havana it’s known as Arroz Morro; in fact my Mom had never heard it termed Arroz Morro until she arrived in the states.
First off, there are three essential requirements to any Cuban dish, plenty of garlic, loud Cuban/Puerto Rican music in the background, and the cook’s favorite pot/pan. The pot Mom uses is very special in the fact that she purchased it in Cuba back in 1962. Mom has used the the pot for the past 47 years exclusively for Congri. The only thing Mom has changed is she now cooks the beans in a pressure cooker to save time.
With Moms special pan, plenty of garlic, and Hector Lavoes “Abuelita” playing in the background we were ready to go.
Ingredients Serves 8
1 Cup Black Beans 2 Cups White Rice 5 Cups Water 1 lb of Salt Pork 1/2 Orange Pepper 1/2 Yellow Pepper 1/2 Green Pepper 9 Garlic Cloves crushed 1 Onion 2 tbsp Cumin 2 tbsp Olive Oil Salt to taste
Cook black beans in water (we used 5 cups of water in a pressure cooker, with dry beans it took approximately 20 min).
Roughly chop the peppers and onions. Crush the garlic cloves. Note: The salt pork was purchased already cut.
Add two tablespoons of olive oil to pan and cook salt pork in saucepan over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until pork is golden and crisp, 6 to 8 minutes.
Add onions, bay leaves, bell peppers, garlic and cumin sauté over medium-high heat 3-4 minutes or until onion is tender.
Add rice and stir in.
Add the cooked beans along with the water used to cook them and let sit, do not cover or stir.
After water has absorbed (approx 10 min) reduce heat, stir, and cover the pot. Let simmer 20 minutes or until rice is tender.
Remove from heat and serve. Congri pairs well with pork dishes.
No salt was needed; enough salt was drawn from the salt pork. You will notice many different regional differences to Congri, some recipes I have seen use bacon instead of salt pork. I also have seen tomato and or vinegar used on some Congri recipes. The recipe we have shared has not been changed from the one my Mom learned as a child growing up in Santiago de Cuba, its different flavors and textures all combined make for a mouthwatering dish.
It just so happens my Mom now reads my blog, and of course the question comes up, why no Cuban food? *bows head* You see my Mom was born and raised in Cuba, my Dad is of Mexican decent so I grew up with the fine cuisines from both countries. During special occasions while I was growing up it was all about the Cuban dishes. Cuban Chicken, Fricase de pollo, Congri, Ropa Vieja, Platanos Maduros, and Lengua were the norm.
A funny thing about Lengua is for the longest time I did not know what it was. I really didn't put two and two together until I was about 8 years old. My best friend Kirk and I were rummaging through the cabinets looking for snacks as my mom was just starting the Lengua preparation. This big huge cow tongue was sitting on kitchen counter and we totally freaked out. By that time I loved the dish so much I didn't mind, but I don't think Kirk came over to eat much after that.
This past Mothers day I followed Mom around the kitchen and tried to capture the recipe for you. It was very challenging because Mom does not measure or time anything, so I did my best to capture one of my favorite traditional Cuban dishes.
Ingredients
3-4 lb Beef Tongue 6 Roma Tomatoes or 6-8 ounces of canned of tomato Sauce (Mom prefers the canned tomato sauce) 1 Red Pepper 1 Yellow Pepper 1 Green Pepper 1-2 Onions 1/2 Cup Olives 6 Garlic Cloves, crushed 4 tablespoons Olive Oil 2 teaspoons capers 1 tablespoon caper juice 1 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon pepper 2 Bay Leaves 2 Tablespoons Vinegar Salt to taste
Clean the tongue thoroughly and place in pressure cooker with just enough water to cover the tongue. Add one tablespoon of salt, cover, and boil for approximately one hour.
Cut onions and peppers
When tongue is ready, pierce the thickest part with a knife, it should enter easily when the tongue has cooked and should no longer be pink. Peal skin off, trim fat, and cut into 1/2-inch slices.
Saute onions and peppers in 4 tablespoons of olive oil and add 2 teaspoons of salt. Add rest of ingredients listed.
Add tomato sauce
Add slices of tongue and cover on medium heat for 30-45 minutes,season to taste with salt and pepper.
We paired the lengua with arroz blanco (white rice) and Mojitos.
I hope you enjoy this recipe its been passed on for generations in my family.
Masa (MAH-sah) Spanish for “dough,” Masa is the traditional dough used to make corn tortillas. Follow me on my Culinary Excursions in Baja California Mexico and beyond. We will also take you in our Kitchen and showcase Regional Mexican Cuisine and occasional Cuban Cuisine. Provecho!
Posts
