Pollo Guisado (Dominican Braised Chicken)

• 2 lb (900 g) chicken pieces on the bone (thighs, drumsticks, wings)
• 1 tbsp sazón casero (Dominican blended garlic, onion, pepper and herb seasoning)
• ¼ tsp dried oregano
• ½ tsp salt, plus more to taste
• 3 tbsp oil
• ¼ tsp sugar, to brown the chicken
• ½ tsp tomato paste
• ½ ají verde (green cubanelle pepper), chopped
• ¼ ají morrón (red capsicum), chopped
• 1 small ripe tomato, chopped
• ½ onion, chopped
• 1 sprig cilantro, chopped
• a little water, added a splash at a time (about ½ cup in all)

Method

The cook speaks Spanish; every step is written here in English. Tap a time to watch that step in the video. For subtitles, tap CC in the video, then Settings › Subtitles › Auto-translate › English.

1. Season the chicken with the sazón casero, oregano and ½ tsp salt, mix well and leave for 5 minutes. 0:47
2. Heat the 3 tbsp oil in a heavy pot (caldero), add the ¼ tsp sugar and let it caramelise to a dark amber. 1:39
3. Add the chicken pieces one at a time and turn them in the caramel so they take on its colour. 1:59
4. Let the chicken brown, pouring small splashes of water around the edge of the pot now and then and turning the pieces until they are deep brown all over. Don't cover it at this stage. 3:00
5. Push the chicken aside, fry the tomato paste in the centre for a minute, then add the green and red pepper, tomato, onion and cilantro and stir-fry about 5 minutes. 4:08
6. Add a little more water, stir, cover and cook 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through and sitting in a thick sauce. 5:35

Tip. Serves 4 (our estimate from 2 lb chicken). The cook serves it with moro (rice and black beans) and avocado; avocado and a salad keep it lighter. No sazón casero? Use crushed garlic, a little onion and cilantro.

The method is a summary in our words — the video shows every step.