Pollo en Chilindron (Chicken and Pepper Stew)

Pollo en Chilindron is a Chicken and Pepper Stew that is typical of Aragon region of Spain in Zaragoza, somewhere around Northeastern Spain but is also widely known in Spain and some Cubans also adopted this delicious dish. It's basically chicken in a delicious tomato based sauce with lots of red bell peppers and onions with a smokey flavor.

There are several versions of this dish I have seen, the common stuff is they all have tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, and something to make it smokey (be it some sort of cured meat, paprika, or something that adds heat which is optional)

I don't know if my recipe is "authentic" or not or even "traditional" but this is what I came up with after observing many other recipes and is what suits my families taste, we like bold flavors, rich sauces, and lots of garlic.

Ingredients:
-1 small Chicken (about 3- 3 1/2 lbs.) cut into 8 pieces (segments)
-6 slices of bacon minced
-3 large red bell peppers julienned
-1-2 large yellow onion julienned or
-1 head garlic cloves peeled (mashed to a paste)
-4 ripe large tomatos pureed or 2 cans tomato sauce
-1 cup dry white wine
-1 tablespoon sweet smoked spanish paprika
-1 tablespoon ground cumin
-1/2 tablespoon hot smoked Spanish paprika (more if you like spicy to taste)
-2 large bay leaves
-salt to taste
-extra-virgin olive oil

Directions:
(1)Season chicken with salt, and brown on all sides in olive oil on medium high in a large deep pot (takes about 15-20 minutes total) Set aside in a seperate plate.

(2)Add minced bacon and render it's fat when browning add onions and bell peppers cook down 5-7 minutes, then add garlic sautee 3 minutes, hten add paprika's and cumin sautee 30-60 seconds until fragrant.

(3)Add wine and let reduce a but, then tomato and simmer 5 minutes. Add chicken back and coat well with sofrito mixture. Dilute sauce with water IF DESIRED (maybe 1/2 - 1 cup water or non at all depends)

(4)Simmer covered until cooked around 35-45 minutes. Serve with good bread or steamed rice and maybe a raw salad if desired dressed in olive oil, salt, and vinegar or lemon or lime.

Please Note:
*In my house we also make a version of it that we do using lamb, mutton, or goats meat that is Spanish in origin but Cubanized a bit:

"Chilindron de Carnero" (Cuban Goat or Lamb Stew)

*The American variety and also Hungarian Paprikas have a completely different taste to the sweet smoked Spanish paprikas which are smoked with some type of oak wood. I buy "La Chinata" brand online (well I really don't my wonderful boyfriend ordered me some for my birthday) it's from "La Vera" they are very flavorful and delicious.

Te de Pelo de Elote (Corn Hair Tea?)

Yeah I know it sounds odd, it's the silky looking hair part of the corn, we only use the clean looking one's that look beautiful (discard any brownish dirty stuff)

It's suppose to be "bueno pa'los riñones" (good for the kidney's) I don't know I'm not a doctor and currently it's finals week in school for me and I don't feel like researching it ( If your curious google around :)

Regardless of medical benefits or not, it's refreshing especially served cold in this summer heat.


So since corn is in season and there's all this wonderful fresh sweet corn don't waste and throw away the beautiful corn silk give this tea a try. It has a subtle light corn taste.

Ingredients:
-water (I don't know I just added water to the pot until it looked right maybe 9-12 cups)
-corn silk (from about 6-8 fresh corn cobs)
-sugar to taste (optional we didn't use it this time and it doesn't really need it but to each his own)

Directions:
(1)Bring water in pot to a boil with corn silk, and boil together for about 10-15 minutes. Turn off, you can drink it now or let it cool, sweeten with sugar to taste if desired and keep cooled in the fridge.
P.S.
This tea apparently is consumed by both Cubans, Mexicans and other cultures so I'm labeling as both.

Guiso de Maiz Tierno (Cuban Corn Stew)

We never made any type of Cuban corn stew in my household, but I was reading "Memories of a Cuban Kitchen" (it's also posted online "Guiso de Maiz" by Mary Urrutia) and I also saw a recipe for "Guiso de Maiz" by Nitza Villapol (the communist Cuban Julia Child) after reading those recipes I felt like making a corn stew (yes even in the summer heat :) so I observed both recipes, both where a bit iffy, I read both recipes to get an understanding of the dish, and then I just cooked it my way to suit my families taste preferences.

My version of the dish is like the Cuban "Potajes" I usually make but instead of being bean/ legume based it's fresh sweet corn based. (Corn is in season so expect some more fresh corn dishes the corn at the store looks beautiful. My grandma taught me a delicous dish with pork meat and corn in a creole sauce very good hopefully I'll have the chance to make that some time soon)

Ingredients:
-1/2 medium sized Calabaza cut in large chunks (like Butternut, Banana, Hubbard, etc. Carribean Squash is what's suppose to be used in Cuban cooking but it's not readily available here where I live and the others make good substitutes, any starchy orange fleshed winter squash will do)
-3 medium potatoes (peeled, and cut into large chunks)
-5 cups fresh corn kernels (I used about 5-6 large corn cobs it made 5 cups)
-2 medium Spanish Chorizo's (or 1/2 a large Spanish CHorizo I used Palacios "Chorizo Español Autentico")
- 1/2 lbs. cubed pork ham
-1/4 cup more or less extra-virgin olive oil
-1 large green bell pepper
-1 large yellow onion
-1/2 head of garlic peeled mashed to a paste
-1 can 8 oz. about 1 cup tomato sauce
-1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
-salt to taste (I used like 2 teaspoons)
-5-6 cups water

Directions:
(1)Heat olive oil in a deep large pot on medium high, sautee cubed pork until browned and renders some fat, add spanish chorizo, sautee until aromatic, now add onion and bell pepper sautee 5-7 minutes until translucent, add garlic sautee 2 minutes, throw in cumin and stir until fragrant like 30-60 seconds. Now add tomato sauce until it stats bubbling let it cook for about 2 minutes. You finally formed you base (sofrito with ham and chorizo)
.... I forgot to take a picture of me adding the tomato sauce but you get the point and sofrito looks damn good already ;)

(2)Add corn kernels stir well, add water, throw in potatoes and calabaza along with water, salt to taste and bring to a strong boil cover and simmer on low 30 minutes, uncover and it's done.

(3)You can serve it alone or if you don't mind all the carbs eat it with bread :) I think a nice salad is good with it to but not nessecarry.

SUPER IMPORTANT NOTE!!!!:
-When peeling the fresh corn cobs do not THROW AWAY the corn "hairs" (those silky looking hairs from the corns inside???? I will show you how to make a refreshing tea with it that we make in my household)

Lastly:
You may be interesterd if you have fresh corn in this Cuban dish I make "Arroz Con Maiz" (Steamed Yellow Rice with Corn)